The Other Side of Me
by DreamStar14
Summary: What if the outcome of that duel in Central 46 had come out differently? What if Urahara had a different holder for the Hogyouku in mind? Well, let's find out.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey, guys! I hope you like this story! This one will have no OCs in it! If there is, they will be minor. This will focus on canon characters, mainly Toushirou and Ichigo.

**Full Summary: **What if the duel in Central 46 had ended differently? What if Urahara had a different holder for the Hogyoku in mind?

Toushirou has a hidden past, one that he doesn't know anything about. But once he meets two fellow Shinigami from the Soul Society, his world does a complete 180. He desperately tries to cope with it, but with that one Shinigami at his side all the time...well, that just makes things worse.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. If I did own Bleach, then this version of the story would've happened instead of Tite Kubo's.

Enjoy!

~1~1~1~1~

**The Other Side of Me**

**Chapter 1: The Boy in the Snowstorm**

_Where am I?_

His eyes wouldn't open to find out.

_Am I still breathing?_

He was so numb, that he couldn't feel a thing.

_Who am I?_

His head hurt so much that his brain could not figure that out.

The boy with hair as white as the snow falling around him thought of nothing else but those three questions.

He could think of nothing else, for he had nothing else to think about.

He finally managed to open his eyes after hearing a young, faint voice telling him to wake up. He eyesight was very blurry and he could barely see a thing because the snow around him was so white. All he could see was a blotch of orange, if it even was orange. He could also see a smaller blotch of light brown, but he wasn't really sure. He couldn't remember the names of any color at this point. His mind couldn't process anything, except the fact that someone had found him.

Isshin paced back and forth by the front door of Kurosaki Clinic. "Oh, when are they going to get here?"

"Stop worrying Oto-san," Yuzu said from her seat on the couch. "Oka-san and Onii-chan will be back."

"But when? Look, it's snowing!" Isshin complained. "The weather forecast didn't say it would be snowing today."

"Who cares?" Karin said from beside Yuzu. "It's the perfect excuse to stay home from school tomorrow."

"I don't think so, missy," Isshin said. "I'll make you walk to school even if the snow is five feet deep. You're not missing school just because of this kind of weather."

"Isn't that considered child abuse?" Karin asked.

"No, it is not. It is considered part of a father's job. It is my duty to make sure my children get to school," Isshin counter-attacked.

"Umm, did it ever cross your minds that tomorrow is Saturday?" Yuzu interjected.

There was an intense awkward silence after the light-brunette said this. It was only broken by the sound of the front door opening.

"Masaki!" Isshin rushed forward to envelope his wife in a hug, but he stopped when he saw a white-haired boy leaning on Masaki's back. Ichigo was right behind his mom, staring intently, and worriedly, as the young boy.

"Isshin, I believe you have a new patient," Masaki said, setting the boy on the couch and laying him down.

This was Isshin's cue to get serious. He kneeled next to the boy, and checked his vital signs.

"Blood pressure is normal. Heart rate is normal. He's not in any danger," Isshin said.

"His head is bleeding," Yuzu said.

She was right. The boy's forehead had a huge gash on it.

"Right, I see it," Isshin said. He gently lifted the boy's head up, receiving a small moan of pain, the first response out of the boy that they had. Isshin noticed that the pillow on which the boy's head rested on also had blood on it. "He's bleeding from the back of the head too. Masaki, go get a towel from the closet. Karin, go get my medical kit. Hurry, both of you."

"What can I do, Oto-san?" Ichigo asked.

"Answer my questions," Isshin said. "Where did you find him?"

"On the side of the road," Ichigo said. "He was hurt, Oto-san. I couldn't just leave him there."

"I know, Ichigo," Isshin said, as Masaki and Karin returned with the things that Isshin had asked for.

Isshin folded the towel and placed it under the boy's head. he then opened his med kit and brought out some bandages and a bottle of iodine. Without him having to ask her, Masaki went to go get her husband a cotton swab for the iodine. She returned a couple seconds later and asked, "Will he be alright, Isshin?"

After what seemed like forever, the man said, "He will now."

The rest of the family let out the deep breath they all seemed to be holding.

"Now that the boy's alright, that means I can fix dinner now. Karin, Yuzu, Ichigo, would you all like to help me?" Masaki asked.

She got only positive answers. The four left for the kitchen, and Isshin softly said to the unconscious boy, "I never expected you to appear on my doorstep, Hitsugaya Toushirou. I wonder what happened to you." [1]

_{Child...wake up...}_

The voice sounded from far away.

_'Who...who are you?'_

_{I am -...}_

The name was silent to him.

_'I can't hear you...'_

_{My name is -.}_

He still couldn't hear a thing.

_'I still can't hear you. Do you...do you know who I am?'_

_{Yes. You are -.}_

The boy was slowly being brought out of his unconscious state back to the world of light. The voice was getting weaker and fainter.

_'Tell me! Who am I?'_

_{You are -.}_

He was getting desperate.

_'Tell me!'_

_{Toushirou!}_

The boy opened his eyes to a strange place. He looked over to the side and saw a man with black hair.

"Eh? Where am I?" His voice sounded raspy. He needed water.

"Kurosaki Clinic," the man said. "Can I get you anything?"

"Water..." the boy croaked out. The man nodded and left the room.

That gave the boy time to think. What happened to him? Did he just suddenly come into existence?

He didn't have a lot of time to think, though, for the man came back a few seconds later with a glass of water in his hand and he was clenching something small in the other.

The boy took a long drink of the water and Isshin helped him back into the position he woke up in. God, his head hurt.

"Are you okay now?"

"I think so," the boy answered. "My head hurts."

"That's because you have two gashes in your head right now. I stopped the bleeding and wrapped the two wounds up after I did so. Don't be surprised if you're in a lot of pain for a while. Do you remember what happened to you?"

The boy shook his head.

_'Whatever happened,'_ Isshin thought, _'it must've been really bad.'_

"Do you remember anything? Like your name? Birthday?"

"Toushirou...that's my name..."

"That's the only thing you can remember?"

Toushirou nodded.

"You have what's called amnesia, kid. But don't worry. I'll check with the police at the station to see if there is any missing child report matching your description."

Toushirou painfully nodded.

"Try not to move your head too much, kid. Remember my warning about being in pain for a while. I have a feeling it's going to be a long while. It's not safe to move you into Ichigo's room yet. I'll have you stay on the couch for now, okay?"

"Ok..." Toushirou was drowsing off.

"Go to sleep, okay, kid?"

Isshin didn't have to tell him twice. Toushirou was already out like a light before the man finished his sentence.

_'I wonder what happened to him. What could've happened to him that traumatized him this badly to the point of amnesia and a couple of head wounds?'_

The next day, Isshin went to the police station to check for a missing child report. There was none. he went back every day of the following week, but still, nothing.

One night, Masaki was cleaning the dishes. Isshin went to check up on her progress.

"Isshin?"

"Yes, Masaki?"

"He must be an orphan, the boy, I mean."

"He must be. Your point?"

"I think we should adopt him."

That stopped Isshin in his tracks. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. I mean, think about it. Ichigo turned nine a few months ago [2] and he has gotten very close to Toushirou. They could almost pass for brothers," Masaki said.

"That's true. They are inseparable most of the time. Toushirou won't sleep anywhere now except in Ichigo's room," Isshin said thoughtfully. There was a short pause. "Well, let's give it more thought, okay?"

However, a couple weeks later, on a rainy day, a tragedy struck the Kurosaki family, especially Ichigo. Even Toushirou, who was just staying as a guest at that time, was devastated by Masaki's death. He never had a family, at least one that he could remember, especially a mother. Kurosaki Masaki had filled that post in his life that best that she could. She treated him like her own son.

The entire family was devastated. In honor of Masaki's request, Isshin made Toushirou's name into Kurosaki Toushirou.

Over the next six years, Toushirou helped Yuzu with the household chores, played soccer with Karin, helped his new father with his patients, and spent a lot of his time with Ichigo. The Kurosaki family loved him and accepted him as one of them as if he had been part of their family since birth. He even got a new nickname from Yuzu: Shirou-chan. Isshin called him that too every once in a while, only he said Shirou-kun. However, he hated the name.

Whenever their conversations came to Toushirou's birthday, they always noticed that whenever it snowed, Toushirou was always outside and he was calm. His temper died down a lot during the wintertime. One particular day that this happened was December 20, tens days after Isshin's birthday [3]. One day, they asked Toushirou when he wanted his birthday to be. He said he preferred December 20. Therefore, that was his birthday from then on.

However, when those six years were up, two figures in black shihakushos were standing on telephone poles one night.

_We have no form, therefore we fear it._

_And because we are formless, we revere it._

"I sense a couple of strong reiatsus nearby," one of them said, before jumping further into the sleeping town of Karakura.

"I sense them as well, but one of them...I felt it before..." The second gasped lightly and breathlessly whispered, "Shirou-chan..." before following the other. [4]

_And so fell the sword of fate..._

In his sleep, Toushirou sneezed, which he woke up from. He went back to sleep, wondering who would be thinking about him. [5]

~1~1~1~1~

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed it. Review please! Since I don't like to interrupt the story with my rambling, here are the notes:

[1] I think it's self explanatory. There's no need to tell you that Isshin knows who Toushirou really is.

[2] Ichigo was nine when his mom died, for those of you who didn't know.

[3] Wiki info has it that Isshin's birthday is December 10th. No, not Wikipedia. I mean, Wiki.

[4] No, it's not an OC. It's a canon character.

[5] In Japan, they say that whenever you sneeze, someone is either thinking or talking about you, or both.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here we go! Next chapter is up! But first, here are the Review Responses:

**HiddenChaser:** I'm so glad you like it. Well, here's the next update!

**PartyPony2:** About that second figure, you'll find out in this chapter. On to Isshin, like I said, you'll find out later on in the story. And Urahara is one of my top five favorite Bleach characters.

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Bleach! All of it belongs to Tite Kubo.

And thank you all for the favs and the story alerts!

~2~2~2~2~

Chapter 2: The Strawberry, the Winter Lion, and the Two Shinigami

Kurosaki Ichigo was pissed. Why was he pissed?

"Who the hell do you think you are? No one jumps one of my boys with no reason and lives to tell about it!" The leader of a gang yelled out.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Toushirou asked emotionlessly.

"I'll show you what I'm going to do!" The leader charged at the white-haired boy standing next to Ichigo. Before anyone could blink, Ichigo landed a kick to the guy's face and slammed his face into the ground.

"What're we gonna do? Our leader's down!"

"You there! In the middle! Answer this: What is that over there?" Ichigo shouted, pointing at a knocked-over vase.

"W-who, me? I guess they're some flowers for some kid who got killed here..."

"Cor-RECT!" Ichigo said, kicking the guy in the face.

"You know, you guys catch on fast for skateboarding punks," Toushirou commented, with a slightly amused smile on his face.

"You've never said truer words, Toushirou," Ichigo said, with a tight smile on his face. "Now answer this: That vase over there, why is it lying on its side?"

"I-I guess one of us knocked it over when we were skateboarding through here..."

"CORRECT!" Ichigo said, taking the last two out. "NOW GO AND APOLOGIZE OR NEXT TIME THE FLOWERS WILL BE FOR YOU!"

The remaining thugs screamed like little girls and ran away, never to be seen ever again.

"Sorry I had to yell like that," Ichigo said, both boys turning to the ghost girl standing, or rather, floating, behind the light pole, which she was using as a shield.

"Don't worry," Toushirou said, picking up the vase and setting it back the right way. "We'll bring you some new flowers tomorrow, okay?"

The girl nodded and said, "Thank you both for coming to my defense. Now I think I'll finally be able to rest in peace."

Toushirou nodded, with a gentle smile on his face, and then the two turned around and started walking back home.

Before the two walked away, Ichigo said, "Yep, if anyone deserves that, it's definitely you."

On top of a nearby light pole, a girl with a black shihakusho on and a single bun in her hair was watching them. She softly smiled.

"Shirou-chan..." She whispered.

At the Kurosaki Household, Ichigo opened the door to the front door. "We're home."

Ichigo was immediately met with a kick to the face.

"You're LATE!" Ichigo fell on his back and Isshin landed perfectly on his own two feet. "You let your guard down. Always be alert when you enter a room and you're late for dinner again." Isshin stressed the word again on purpose. "And Toushirou, you might want to take notes on this. It'll come in handy one day. Trust me."

Toushirou merely shrugged. "Whatever."

"Come on!" Ichigo retaliated just as Toushirou sat down at the dinner table. "Is that any way to greet your son after he just risked his life to help a spirit find peace?"

"Silence!" Isshin yelled back. "Oh, so it's the ghost's fault now, is it? I suppose it was ghosts that left yours and Toushirou's room a mess! When are you two going to show some discipline?"

"For your information," Toushirou cut in, "My side of the room is always clean. It's Ichigo who makes the mess."

"TRAITOR!" Ichigo suddenly yelled. "And I have the nerve to call you my little brother!"

"Don't worry, Shirou-chan. He doesn't mean it," Yuzu said.

"Don't call me that, Yuzu. You know I don't like it," Toushirou said, taking a bite of his rice. "This is really good."

"Thank you. I do my best," Yuzu said.

"Anyways," Toushirou went on, "I know he's just teasing. So was I. Hey, you guys! Stop fighting! It's getting a little annoying."

"Yeah, come on over here and eat your dinner!" Yuzu said.

"Who cares? Let 'em fight. More rice for us," Karin said.

"That's not very nice, Karin. Any homework, Shirou-chan?"

A tick mark visibly appeared on his forehead, but he kept his anger in. "Nope. Already finished it in class."

"I know you skipped a grade and are now in the same grade as Ichigo, but you should have some challenges in school," Yuzu said.

"Step pestering him, Yuzu. Toushirou's a prodigy. He can have homework or cannot have homework. It doesn't matter," Karin butted in, all three ignoring the fighting elders in the background.

"Stay out of it, Karin," Yuzu said. "But, how do you do it? How do you find the time?"

Toushirou took one sip of his soup before answering. "I have a lot of free time."

"I gotta tell you, Oto-san. A high school student with a seven o'clock curfew is totally uncool!" Ichigo said after punching his dad in the face.

"Ichigo, speaking of uncool, you have a new one," Karin said, not blinking an eye.

"What the hell?" Ichigo said, looking at the new ghost floating around him. "Where'd you come from? Take a hike, will you? You damn pest!"

Karin sighed. "Poor Ichigo. Oto-san or ghost, it's always something."

"Oh, I don't know. I think Onii-chan and Shirou-chan are kinda lucky to be able to see ghosts."

A slam on the table caused both Karin and Yuzu, and even Ichigo and Isshin, to look up.

Toushirou snatched the entire plate of rice balls and angrily said, "Do not call me Shirou!" With a swish of his school jacket and speed up the stairs. A couple second later, they all heard a door slam shut.

Karin spoke first. "Good job, Yuzu. You made him mad."

"That's really cold..." the ghost said.

"Just like my dinner," Ichigo sighed.

"You let your guard down again!" Isshin said, fixing Ichigo in an arm and leg lock. After throwing him the air and finally punching him, to the point where he fell, Ichigo rose up victorious.

"No charge for the lesson."

"Forget dinner. I'm going to bed."

In the darkness of the boys' bedroom, Ichigo called out to the other boy.

"Toushirou? You awake?"

Toushirou tiredly rolled over, to where his back was facing the wall, not Ichigo. "Hmm? What?"

"Can you remember anything yet? About your life before we found you?"

Toushirou said nothing, shook his head, and rolled back over with his back facing Ichigo.

_'Even after all these years, he's never once showed any sign about wanting to get his memories back, much less actually getting them back. Every night I ask. And each time, it's the same answer: no.'_

The next morning, Ichigo put his shirt as he told Toushirou, "You know...if anything's bothering you, you can talk to me...You can me anything. You know that."

Toushirou detected sadness, hurt, and betrayal in Ichigo's voice. Whenever Ichigo sounded hurt emotionally, he was exactly that. Ichigo had reminded Toushirou that he could always come to him, and that meant that Ichigo was trying desperately to ease Toushirou's pain, if not his own.

"I know, Ichigo, but trust me, nothing is bothering me," Toushirou said, and left it at that.

Ichigo could sense that something was wrong with Toushirou. He sounded distant, and that meant that something was on his mind. He denied it, and that was a sure sign that he was hiding it from Ichigo.

The two could read each other like an open book. That's how close they were.

When one of them hurt, the other hurt too.

The two walked on the way to school the next day, with a new vase of flowers in Ichigo's bag. Toushirou looked up suddenly.

"Ichigo. Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That!" He sounded desperate.

Just then, a stomp sounded in the background. Ichigo froze. Was it an elephant? It couldn't be. No one was screaming or running.

"Ichigo, look out!" Toushirou suddenly yelled out. As soon as he finished his sentence, the building next to them exploded right above them. Ichigo shoved Toushirou out of the way just in time. Luckily, everyone near the blast came out unscathed. Out of the smoke came the ghost girl.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Ichigo asked her.

"You have to get out of here. Everyone does. You must!" The girl said, urgently.

"Toushirou, let's go!" Toushirou nodded. He started to run.

But somehow, Toushirou was slower than Ichigo and the ghost girl. He was usually the fastest. It was like something in his body was slowing him down.

Now that he thought about it, it was probably an illness. He was feeling a little nauseous yesterday and somewhat the day before, but nothing too serious, so he didn't say anything.

Toushirou heard another explosion and he looked back and saw a giant centipede chasing after him. He tried to run faster, but it still seemed like his world was only getting slower. He looked back up ahead of him and was alarmed at how far Ichigo and the girl were ahead of him.

It was no use. Every time he tried to speed up, it was them who sped up, while he merely slowed down. With no other choice, Toushirou yelled out the first name he could think of.

_"ICHIGO!"_

Ichigo snapped his head around and was also alarmed at how far behind Toushirou was. He also thought that now was the worst time to be a klutz, and that's what Toushirou usually was, especially in the worst of situations, for Toushirou had just tripped and he landed hard on his knee.

Even though he saw the monster now with his brown eyes very clearly, Ichigo didn't think. Without any better options, Ichigo turned around and ran back to Toushirou.

It was a while before he reached Toushirou, but he did. When he did, he dropped down on one knee next to Toushirou.

"Toushirou, you okay?"

Toushirou didn't respond. He couldn't. For some reason, he was in so much pain; he was trembling like a fragile leaf in a storm.

"Toushirou, answer me!"

Toushirou felt weird. His insides suddenly went hot, then cold, and where now churning at the thought of that monster. Nonetheless, he managed to croak out a weak, "Ichi...go..."

"Toushirou! Come on. We have to get out of here. That monster still's here," Ichigo said, with urgency obvious in his voice.

Actually, to be more precise, it was right behind them.

Ichigo immediately noticed this, but he also noticed a black and red butterfly flying across his face like nothing was wrong.

A girl with a bun and a black shihakusho and a sword jumped beside the two. Another girl, also in a black shihakusho, but with her hair down and a single bang going down her face, slashed the monster across its face with her sword and landed perfectly on the ground.

The ghost girl ran up to them, but was held back by the girl with the bun, who had her hand on her sword. The other girl with the bang jumped up and brought her sword down the monster's face and split the mask it had on in two. The monster disappeared before their eyes.

The girl with the bun, however, had her sword out and was facing the ghost girl. The girl had a questionable look her face and the girl with the bun nodded and touched the ghost's forehead with the hilt of her sword. The ghost girl disappeared in an aqua blue light and, when the light dimmed and disappeared, was replaced by another black butterfly, which flew up toward the sky.

The two girls nodded to each other and jumped away from the scene as if nothing had happened.

Life in the bustling city had returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

Both Ichigo and Toushirou, who surprisingly felt a whole lot better since the destruction of the monster, were left with a lot of questions.

That night, Toushirou was asleep, or trying to and finally succeeded, and Ichigo was lying on his back in his bed with a lot on his mind.

_'Who were those two? And why was Toushirou in so much pain? The monster didn't even touch him.'_

His train of thought was interrupted when he saw that same butterfly again. He sat up as the girl with the bun appeared on his open windowsill, while the girl with the bang had appeared on top of the dresser.

"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo demanded. "One of you answer!"

The banged girl grabbed her sword hilt, and Ichigo scooted closer to the wall.

"Put that thing away! You're not slicing me up!"

_'It's getting closer...' _"I feel it."

The banged girl's butt met Ichigo's foot that very same second.

"Who the hell are you!"

The banged girl had question marks dancing over her head as the light came on. The bunned girl merely looked on with a confused look, and Toushirou had woken up.

"What the hell are you doing, you idiot? I'm trying to sleep," Toushirou muttered.

"If you think you're a burglar, you're not a very good one! For starters, you shouldn't talk to yourself!" Ichigo ignored him.

"But...you kicked me. But we can't be seen by ordinary humans. Are you saying you can see us?" The banged girl asked.

Toushirou turned to the bunned girl. "Excuse me, but what's going on?"

The bunned girl mentally sighed in relief. _'Thank goodness. I thought that you wouldn't be able to see me at first.'_ "Well, my partner and I are here on a mission."

"Wait, you two are the ones we saw in town earlier. Interesting," the banged girl said, grabbing Ichigo's chin and turning his head side to side. "You're only human, yet you must be defective in some way."

Ichigo slapped her hand away and yelled, "I'll show you 'defective'!" He aimed a kick at her, but she merely jumped on top of his leg, then over onto his head, and then landed perfectly on the floor, knocking Ichigo down in the process, causing the other two to sweatdrop.

"Why you...!" Ichigo said. "Who are you?"

"Do you really want to know? Then I'll tell you. My partner and I...are Shinigami."

After a full explanation later, Ichigo said, "So, let me get this straight. You two come from a place called the Soul Society."

The two girls nodded.

"And you come here to exercise demons like the one in town earlier."

Both girls nodded again.

"Which after that girl's soul."

Both girls nodded again at Ichigo's statement.

Ichigo got a tick mark. "That's all believable to me...ALONG WITH FLYING PIGS AND THE TOOTH FAIRY!" Toushirou had to jump from his eat on the floor out of the way to avoid the flying table.

"How dare you? Why wouldn't believe in Shimigami when you've just admitted that you can see spirits?" The banged girl asked.

"We can see spirits," Ichigo went on, "but we've never heard of or seen Shinigami before, and you're story is just too incredible. I don't believe in anything I can't see." Ichigo stood up.

The banged girl stood up too. "Well, you see us, don't you?"

"She does have a point," Toushirou cut in.

Ichigo paused. "Well, I do agree with the fact that you two aren't human, but you'll need more than your story to make me believe in what you're saying," Ichigo said as he put his hand on the banged girl's head. "Why don't you go and play your little Shinigami game somewhere else, ok, little brat? Now, run along now."

The bunned girl tensed up. "Please don't call her that, sir."

"I'm a brat, am I?" The banged girl had a visible tick mark. "Bakudou no Ichi: Sai!"

Ichigo's arms were tied behind his back and he dropped face first onto the floor.

"W-What did you do to me?" Ichigo managed to get out, barely.

"It's called a kidou, a high-level incantation that only we Shinigami can cast. It's useless to try and break free. You're just wasting you're energy. You say I'm a brat, when in fact, both of us have living nearly ten of your lifetimes. I would kill you on the spot for your insults if it were not against my orders, so you, little brat, be grateful," the banged girl said.

"But kidou can also be used for healing. You bruised your knee earlier, right?" The bunned girl asked Toushirou, who nodded and rolled his pj pant leg up. The bunned girl took of the bandage that the school nurse had put on it, and hovered her hands over his knee and a green light glowed from her hands. Almost instantly, Toushirou felt the pain his knee fall numb and the cuts on his knee were fading, until they faded completely. When she had finished, Toushirou did not know what to say.

"T-Thank you..."

"You're welcome. Better, huh?"

Toushirou could only nod.

"Now," the banged girl said, "I'll tell you why we're here." She drew something out of her robe and pulled out a sketchbook and then turned to a page. "There are two kinds of souls. Wholes, or Pluses, like the ghost girl. These are the kind you usually see. The other kind are called hollows, like the monster in town earlier, which come and devour souls." The other three were looking at some pictures that looked like they were drawn by a five-year-old. "Any questions before I go on?"

"Yeah...why the hell does your drawing suck so bad?"

Ichigo's question was met with a mark to his face, which drew lines on Ichigo's face.

Toushirou giggled in amusement, as did the other girl.

"Shut up! It's not funny!" Ichigo wanted to hit them both, but his hands were bound.

"Let us continue with our lesson, Monsieur..." the banged girl said, bouncing her marker in her hand.

"There are two main jobs for Shinigami: guiding wholes to the Soul Society through konso, as I demonstrated earlier today, and to take care of hollows wherever we find them," the bunned girl finished.

"Wait," Toushirou said, "You said that hollows attack humans to eat their souls. But why do they do that?"

"We don't know. We have yet to figure out what drives the hollows to do the things they do," the banged girl said.

_"I can smell it...no...them. There are two of them. Two tasty souls, along with the smell of two Shinigami...and one of the humans has it...that one thing I've been wanting...so tasty..."_ The hollow howled into the night.

Toushirou snapped his head up. He heard it again.

"One thing we do know is that there is still another hollow out there," the banged girl said.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go out there and kill it!" Ichigo said as Toushirou quietly slipped from the room.

"We would, but neither of us seem to be able to sense it anywhere," the bunned girl said. "Usually we have no problem detecting hollows, but here it's like our senses are being jammed by something powerful..."

"Hey! Where'd Toushirou go?" Ichigo asked. Both girls jumped up.

Toushirou crept downstairs and saw Yuzu trying to climb up the stairs.

"Yuzu?" He ran down to help her.

"Shirou-chan...Run...get away while you can..." Yuzu barely managed to get out before passing out.

Toushirou ran down the rest of the stairs anyway. He saw Karin against the wall. His five senses were growing numb again. His world was quickly going back. He closed his eyes just as he felt a wall forcefully meet his back. Then his arms suddenly felt like they were being ripped from his body. The hollow was pulling on Toushirou's arms and trying to rip them out of their sockets.

"L-let me go..." Toushirou muttered.

_"Give it to me..."_

"Give what to you? My soul? I don't think so..."

_"That too...give it to me...I know you have it...give it to me..."_

Toushirou's shoulders cracked and screamed out in pain. The hollow and the three upstairs felt the great and sudden surge in Toushirou's icy spiritual pressure.

The two Shinigami ran down the stairs, but immediately felt a great reiatsu.

"It's...so strong..." the bunned girl managed to utter. Ichigo stumbled down the stairs after them. He landed in a heap next to the bunned girl.

"Don't! You'll only waste your energy!" The bunned girl said.

"Shut up...that's Toushirou...my little brother...I've got to help him..." Despite the fact that his arms were tied behind his back, Ichigo stood up, ready to fight.

"How can he stand up when he's under my spell?" the banged girl asked as the two Shinigami looked upon Ichigo.

Toushirou screamed again, catching the Shinigamis' attention.

"Toushirou!"

"Ichigo! Do something!" Toushirou screamed out again.

Ichigo struggled against the kidou.

"Stop! The kidou is way too strong for a human to break!" The banged girl warned. "You'll only cause damage to your soul!"

However, the two looked awestruck as Ichigo's reiatsu rose in great height and he, a mere human, broke the kidou spell. Ichigo ran forward, grabbing a chair on the way.

"Fool! You'll only get in the way!"

Ichigo swung the chair at the hollow, but was smacked onto the asphalt outside instead.

Toushirou was about to scream because of his shoulders again, but the two Shinigami were on either side of the hollow and both cut each of the hollow's two arms, making the hollow release Toushirou. Toushirou was falling fast toward the asphalt, but Ichigo slide across the pavement and caught him in time.

"T-Toushirou! OI! Answer me!"

But the white-haired boy was out cold and, thus, could not answer.

"Don't worry," the banged girl said. "The hollow left without devouring neither your sisters nor your brother's souls."

The bunned girl rushed toward the two brothers and examined the unconscious boy in Ichigo's arms. "It seems that both his shoulders are dislocated. He's lucky they weren't literally ripped from his body." Ichigo shuddered at the image.

"C-Can you heal him?" Ichigo asked her.

The bunned girl nodded and got to work right away.

Ichigo turned to the other girl. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive. The hollow was looking for a certain kind of soul to eat, one with a higher level of reiatsu," she explained, holding her sword out in front of her. "In fact, the hollow in town earlier was hungry for that soul too, not the girl's."

"Why's that?" Ichigo asked.

"For some reason, most of the reiatsu that you have was hidden deep inside you until now," she continued, "when you needed it to save Toushirou. That's why we didn't sense anything unusual about either of you when we got here."

"So you're saying that both Toushirou and I have high level reiatsu?"

"Yes. Your level reiatsu also explains why the hollows haven't come after you two. When you and your brother made contact with that spirit girl, reiatsu started to pour out. Your souls became exposed..."

Ichigo looked up. "You mean that the reason the hollow is attacking us is because of the reiatsu both of us have?"

Toushirou's turquoise eyes fluttered opened and he immediately shuddered in pain. His shoulders hurt so badly!

"Try not to move around too much," the bunned girl said, peering over at his face with a sympathetic and relieved look on hers.

They heard the hollow roar once again.

"It's coming!" Toushirou tried to get out.

"Hey!" Ichigo had run out to the street in front of the hollow. "If you want a soul to eat, then come at me. Fight me one-on-one, you ugly bastard!"

The hollow roared, taking it as an invitation to eat Ichigo's soul.

But a spit of blood shot up in the air. The bunned girl's eyes widened in shock.

The other Shinigami had taken the hit for Ichigo, but got a terrible shoulder wound in the process. She managed to push the hollow away before it retreated. She fell to the ground, blood pouring freely from her shoulder.

"Shinigami!" Ichigo yelled.

"Not good," Toushirou muttered. The other Shinigami said nothing.

"You...are a fool," the banged Shinigami said to Ichigo. "How could you have possibly thought that you were any match against a hollow? Did you really think that everything would be over if you just gave your soul to it? One soul isn't enough to satisfy that hollow forever. If you keep getting in the way, we'll all end up as that hollow's dinner."

The hollow continued to screech from the wound that the Shinigami gave to it.

The Shinigami managed to get up and crawl over to a telephone pole and lean against it.

"I'm too injured to keep fighting. My partner is too busy healing your brother," she gasped. "Do you want to save your family?"

"Of course I do!" Ichigo replied. "If there's a way, tell me!"

"It'll only be temporary, but you must become a Shinigami yourself..."

The bunned girl looked up at this.

Ichigo looked both confused and surprised.

"You must take my zanpaktou and run it through the center of your being so I may transfer my powers to you, I'm not sure if you'll live or not, but it doesn't work, it won't matter."

Toushirou heard the whole thing. _'Become...a Shinigami?'_

The hollow roared again, getting ready to attack.

"I'll do it," Ichigo spoke up.

"Ichigo," Toushirou muttered.

"Don't worry, Toushirou...I'll be just fine. Now, give me that blade, Shinigami."

The hollow was walking toward them.

"You don't have to keep calling me that. My name is Kuchiki Rukia..." Rukia said, smiling.

The hollow was running now. Ichigo grabbed the blade of Rukia's sword.

"And my name is Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo's torso was pierced and there was a bright and great rush and light of reiatsu.

The attacking hollow suddenly had its left arm cut off.

Toushirou's eyes widened. It wasn't the fact that the hollow was finally greatly injured; it was who had injured it. His brother was wearing a black hakama like Rukia's and the other girl's and he was holding a large sword.

Rukia was now wearing a white kimono and the blood she had was visible. _'How is this possible? I meant to give him only half of my powers, but he's taken nearly all of it.'_

"This ends right now!" Ichigo yelled anger evident in his voice.

_'What kind of being is he?'_ Rukia asked herself_. 'I've never seen a human with this much reiatsu, and I've never seen a Shinigami wield such a large zanpaktou.'_

Ichigo managed to cut off the hollow's leg before it could attack again. He watched as the hollow fell over. "You'll pay for hurting my family, you hollow scum. Feel the wrath of my blade!"

As Ichigo sliced the hollow across its mask as hard as he could, and it disappeared for good, Toushirou turned toward the bunned girl. "Kurosaki Toushirou..."

The bunned girl gently smiled before stating her name. "Hinamori Momo..."

_Kurosaki Ichigo: 15 years old_

_Hair Color: Orange_

_Eyes: Brown_

_Occupation: High School Student and..._

**SHINIGAMI**

~2~2~2~2~

A/N: Review, please! I hope this chapter answers most, if not all, of your questions!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here we go! Next chapter is up! But first, here are the Review Responses:

**skylark dragonstar: **I'm glad you like it. In this story, in order for the plotline to work out I plan it to, Momo needs to be in here. She's a much needed character.

**PartyPony2: **I love it when people smile when they read my stories. It makes me feel good. :) Anyways, would she be arrested? Actually, to be honest, she will, but not for association. Momo is still the Lieutenant of Division 5, and yes, Division 10 does have a Captain. No it's not an OC nor Matsumoto. Like I said, there are no major OCs in this story. The Division 10 Captain has a major part in this story, and it is a canon character, one who does have bankai, but he's someone who appeared in the series only once. Actually, he doesn't appear in any episode, but a movie. **PM me if you (any of you) want to guess.** And all other questions will be answered later.

**bleach hui: **Well, here it is!

**Toshiro with love:** I'm glad you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Bleach! All of it belongs to Tite Kubo.

And thank you all for the favs and the story alerts!

~3~3~3~3~

Chapter 3: Older Brothers in the Line of Duty

"Gooooooooood Mooooorrrrnnniiiinggg, ICHIGO!" Both Ichigo and Toushirou had to wake up to that. However, both of them were truly awake when Isshin let out a strangled yell, because Ichigo had kicked him before Isshin could and had grabbed his face and held it to the ground.

Toushirou rubbed his eyes as Ichigo muttered angrily, "Are you nuts? What kind of sick, twisted freak attacks his own son while he's just lying there sleeping?"

"You are getting good," Isshin mumbled out with some effort. "Looks like there's nothing left to teach you, my son."

Ichigo thought of something and then grabbed the front of his father's shirt, who had a red hand mark over his eyes.

"Wait a minute! What about Karin, Yuzu, and Toushirou's injuries from last night?"

"Injuries? What are you talking about? All three are just fine. Look over there at Toushirou. The only pain he's in is from waking up so early."

"W-What?" Ichigo was confused and dumbfounded.

Outside, the damage from the hollow was finally realized. Only, the other three didn't call it damage from a hollow, so to speak.

"It's a miracle!" Isshin exclaimed. "A truck crashed right into our house and no one gets hurt!"

Ichigo and Toushirou were both dumbfounded.

_'Actually, that Shinigami, Hinamori, was it? She's a pretty good healer. My shoulders feel like brand new...' _Toushirou thought.

"What's more miraculous is that none of us even woke up when it happened," Karin muttered.

_'I-I don't get it...' _Ichigo thought. _'Their wounds are completely gone!'_ He looked over at Toushirou, who was flexing his shoulders without a distorted look of pain on his face. _'His too. They think that a truck did all this? Is this the work of those two Shinigami?'_

The rest of the family was walking by back into the house.

"Onii-chan, Shirou-chan, hurry up and eat breakfast or you're gonna be late for school," Yuzu said.

"Sure," Toushirou said following Yuzu into the house. Ichigo followed a while afterwards.

_'I wonder if both of them went back to the place they mentioned...the Soul Society.'_

In class 1-3, the boys were talking about last night.

"Hey, Ichigo, Toushirou, I heard a truck crashed into your house last night, dude," Keigo said.

"Pretty much," Ichigo said.

"So, did you clean it all up yet?" Mizuiro asked.

"What are you kidding? It's gonna take forever," Ichigo said.

"Need any help?"

Toushirou looked up a tall and burly Chad. He sweatdropped and backed away one step very slowly. "Er...that's okay, Chad..."

"Yeah, Chad," Keigo said. "You could wind up bringing the whole house down, if you know what I mean."

Two girls walked towards the group of five boys.

"Hey, what have we got next?" Ichigo asked.

"Language lab," Mizuiro answered.

"Great, my favorite subject," Toushirou muttered sarcastically.

"I thought you liked that class, Toushirou," Mizuiro said. "You get an A in that class every day."

"I get an A in every class," Toushirou counter-attacked.

"Hey, you're Ichigo, aren't you?" A familiar voice ran through Ichigo's head. He turned around to see...

Ichigo's mind went blank.

"I'll be sitting next to you from now on. My name is Kuchiki Rukia," Rukia said.

"And I'm Hinamori Momo, her cousin. And I'll be sitting next to you, uh, Toushirou, right?" Momo said.

Ichigo freaked out, while Toushirou simply said, "Y-Yeah..."

"I-It's you!"

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Keigo asked.

"You two know each other?" Chad asked.

"Of course not," Rukia said. "We've never met before. Isn't that right, Ichigo?"

"Rukia and Momo here are brand new transfer students," Mizuiro said.

"Nice to meet you both," Keigo said, smiling. For some reason, Toushirou felt a twang of anger in his heart when Keigo said that. Oh, the way he said it didn't help either.

"It's a pleasure," Rukia said, holding out her hand. Ichigo read the writing on her hand.

_'Make a scene and you are so dead!'_

That didn't help Ichigo at all.

"Alright, you freaky little nut jobs! What the hell are you two doing here?" Ichigo demanded.

"How scary," Rukia teased, "You big brute. You're not going to hurt me, are you?"

"Rukia-san," Momo started.

"First of all, you can quit with the cutesy talk. It annoys the hell out of me," Toushirou muttered.

"Well, I think it's pretty good, considering I learned it overnight," Rukia said.

"Forget it!" Ichigo said. "So what are you two doing here anyways? Weren't you two going back to that Soul Society place?"

"We can't," Rukia said. "Momo's mission here is a long-term mission. Mine was a short-term. And besides, only Shinigami can go back there. Right now, I don't have that ability."

"What?" Ichigo said.

"That true?" Toushirou asked Momo, who nodded.

"All of it."

"Last night, I lost nearly all of powers because of you, Ichigo. And thanks to you, for the time being I'm stuck in this ridiculous-looking gigai form."

"What's that?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia pointed to herself. "It's a temporary body provided for use in emergencies. Shinigami who are drastically weakened inhabit a gigai until their powers return."

"So that's why the others could see you guys," Toushirou said, his brilliant mind at work.

"That's right," Momo said.

"As so..." Rukia said. "Until all of my powers return, it's up to you, Ichigo, to perform the duties of a Shinigami along side Momo! It's only natural. You now possess the strength and powers of a Shinigami. You don't have the right to refuse your calling-!"

"No way!" Ichigo said, forming his arms into an X shape.

"What?" Both girls said.

"My monster fighting days are over. That was a one time deal."

"Don't be ridiculous, Ichigo-san," Momo said. "You did just fine yesterday."

"That was because my family was being attacked," Ichigo said. "I'm not about to risk my life for a complete stranger. Sorry to disappoint you." Ichigo turned and started to walk away.

"I see," Rukia said. "I guess there's no other choice then." Rukai put on a red glove with a skull and flame design on it. "Hey!"

Ichigo turned to see Rukia coming at him fast. He felt a pain in his chin and then all over his entire body. He looked up and then down and saw himself as he looked last night: a Shinigami.

Ichigo freaked out some more.

Rukia merely said, "Follow me. Momo, take the west side. We'll take the east." Momo nodded and swallowed a green pill, just as Rukia and Ichigo walked away. Soon, there were two Momos. One was in her Shinigami form. The other was in her school uniform.

"Try not to cry now, Luna, okay?" Luna, in Momo's gigai, sniffed and nodded, taking Ichigo's body out of sight as Momo turned to Toushirou and said, "Follow me, okay?"

Toushirou and Momo were walking down the street.

"Hey, Hinamori, where are we going?" Toushirou asked.

"To find a hollow. Soul Society can't detect it for some reason. Last night, you sensed the hollow first and that's why you went missing. I told the Soul Society about your fast hollow-detecting abilities and what that hollow did and said to you, just as you told me last night. They told me to stay by your side and be your bodyguard. Apparently, you're a big hot spot for hollows. But for some reason, you can sense hollows before the Soul Society or even I can. That's why I've taken you with me."

"Oh..." Toushirou then heard a hollow's cry.

He paused and looked at Momo, unsure of what to do.

"If you hear something, go ahead and run the direction you think it's in. It's ok. I'll be right beside you," Momo said.

He then ran to the source, Momo closely following him. Soon, she was right beside him.

"You see what I mean?"

Toushirou could only nod.

"By the way, you're pretty fast," Momo commented.

"Thanks, I'm on the track team," Toushirou said before both saw the hollow attacking a spirit girl. Momo quickly defeated it and sent the soul to the Soul Society.

Momo walked back, sheathing her sword as she went. "To a Shinigami, all spirits are considered and treated as equals. You must be willing to go to any risk to help any spirit, even if it means sacrificing your own life."

Toushirou only nodded, speechless by what he had just heard and seen.

_"What are you doing to me?"_ The soul screamed in agony.

"_I need it… It is being held inside a vessel…a human body…you must get it for me…"_

The soul stopped screaming as it slowly transformed into a hollow.

"Hear me, O Lord. Help your humbled child understand why she was born. And if your divine will wishes it, summon me back to your side. I await you-"

"SHUT UP!" Ichigo cut Rukia off.

"What is your problem?" Rukia asked. "I am studying contemporary langauge."

"You're off by a couple centuries," Toushirou said, turning a page his own book, Momo standing next to him, looking around.

"So tell me, Rukia, how long to keep planning on following me around? I understand why Momo's tailing Toushirou, but why are you following me?"

"Until you answer your calling as a Shinigami."

"Yeah, right, whatever," Ichigo said, turning around to go home, with the other three on his tail.

There a sound of tires screeching and Toushirou turned around, thinking that he sensed something.

In the distance, the car rolled away, leaving Orihime on the ground in a fetal position.

"Hey!" The group of four ran toward her. "Inoue?"

Orihime sat up immediately, startled. "Huh? Kurosaki-kun? And Toushirou-kun too?"

"Did that car just hit you?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh...maybe..."

Toushirou mind went blank. _'How can she not be sure?'_

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked. "Are you going to be okay?"

Orihime got up. "Yeah, it was just a little bump on the head. Don't worry. I'm fine. I swear."

"Are you sure you're okay? And where'd the car go?" Toushirou asked.

"It, uh, drove away."

"Inoue!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

It took a while, but Ichigo finally caved in. "Oh, alright, as long as you're okay."

Orihime smiled and then asked, "Kuchiki-san? Hinamori-san?"

Momo smiled and leaned over to Toushirou and whispered to him, "Who is she?"

"Inoue Orihime. She's in our class," Toushirou whispered back.

"Oh, right," Momo said, just as Rukia said, "Who the hell are you?"

Ichigo elbow-bumped her, saying, "Hello! She's in the same class as you. Her name is Inoue Orihime. Get your head out of your butt!"

Both Shinigami girls said at the same time, "Oh, of course, how could I forget? It's nice to meet you!" Both curtsied at the human girl, who merely curtsied back.

"The pleasure is all mine."

"Well, it appears that you've been shopping," Momo said.

"Oh, yes, dinner!" Orihime ran back to get her bag.

When she came back, she twirled a leek in her hand, saying, "My leeks, butter, bannanas, and bean jam all made it too!"

_'Ugh...I don't want to know what she's going to make with that,'_ Ichigo thought.

Rukia and Momo noticed something on her leg. Toushirou noticed it too.

"How did you get that bruise on your leg?" Rukia asked.

"What bruise? Oh this? I guess I got it just now," Orihime said.

"Geez, does it hurt?" Ichigo asked.

"Just a little, but I'm fine," Orihime said. She leaned down to Rukia's level, who was examining the bruise. "Umm, what's the matter, Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia looked up. "Oh, it's nothing. You take care now, okay?"

"Okay."

"You want me to walk you home?" Ichigo asked her.

"Oh, no. It's fine really. See ya." With that, Orihime walked across the street and on to her house.

"Speaking of walking girls home," Toushirou said, "You want me to walk you home, Hinamori?"

"Oh, no, it's okay. I think Rukia and I can find our own way. But thank you anyways."

Toushirou nodded, crestfallen, for some odd reason that he couldn't think of.

Ichigo and Toushirou were sitting on their beds in their room when Yuzu opened the door.

"Hey, you guys haven't seen my pajamas anywhere, have you?" She asked.

"Come on, Yuzu, this is a guy's room," Toushirou said, reading a book.

"He's right. Knock before you come in here," Ichigo said.

"Well, I'm sorry I asked. You two've gotten so mean since you entered high school," Yuzu pouted.

"Have not," Toushirou said.

"And we don't know where your pajamas are," Ichigo finished.

"That is just so odd," Yuzu said. "One of my dresses has gone missing too."

"Why do you feel the need to ask us about every little thing? Does it look like we care?" Ichigo asked.

"Okay, fine. Good night!" With that, Yuzu closed the door.

Rukia and Momo were lying on a bed in the dark, when Momo's Soul Pager deeped.

_'An order?'_ Momo thought as Rukia looked up at her. There was a final beep. Somehow, Ichigo and Toushirou heard it too.

Rukia opened the door, which was to the closet in the boys' room.

"Ichigo! Toushirou! Move out! We've got orders!"

"Huh? Is that my sister's pjs you've got on? Why the hell are you two in our closet?"

"First of all, we're all lucky it's big enough to fit two fully grown men. Second," Rukia said, putting on her red glove, "We're not alone."

"Come on, Ichigo-san. It's here. Let's go!" Momo said, taking out her green pill.

"'It's here'?" Ichigo asked confused.

"Move!" Rukia said, smacking Ichigo with her glove, and he and Momo, who swallowed her pill, both came out of their bodies. Luna had grabbed Toushirou out of the way and was holding him back from fighting.

Ichigo, Rukia, and Momo merely stood there.

"What are you doing, you two? Don't just stand there. Kill it!" Rukia said.

"Silence, Kuchiki! You may be a noble, but I outrank you!" Momo said, drawing her sword.

"Forgive me, Hinamori-fukutaichou, I thought we were still doing that cousins act," Rukia said.

"We are," Momo said. "Just let me give the orders around here."

"Understood."

"Ichigo-san!" Momo yelled. "Aim for its head!"

"Right!" Ichigo said, drawing his sword, making it scrape against the ceiling. Ichigo swung down, but missed. It swung its tail, but Ichigo couldn't dodge it. He was slammed to the ground.

"Ichigo!" Toushirou yelled, but Luna still held him back.

Ichigo recovered quickly and finally managed to injure its arm. Ichigo swung again, ignoring Rukia's "Focus! Don't just swing you're sword around!" Ichigo swung again, and he got it, but the cut was too shallow. The hollow grabbed Ichigo's sword and it was now a struggle for control. Soon enough, the sword broke part of the hollow's mask.

It then retreated.

"Ichigo..." Toushirou started.

"It's getting away. Let's go!" Rukia said.

"Ichigo-san?" Momo asked.

"I got a look at thing's face...it was the face of Inoue's dead brother!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"You mean hollows will attack their own families?" Ichigo asked, carrying Rukia on his back. Momo and Toushirou followed closely beside them.

"Yes," Momo said.

"Why would they do that?" Ichigo asked.

"A hollow is a fallen soul. When a spirit becomes a hollow, they loose their hearts and will attack anyone."

"It makes me sad that you can't remember me, Orihime...very, very sad!" The hollow aimed a strike at her, but Ichigo had blocked it with his sword.

"I'm the one you're really after, right? Leave her alone and fight me!" Ichigo managed to get a cut on its hand. It retreated before Ichigo could do any more damage.

"Uh...Kurosaki-kun? Thank you so much for saving us! But what are you doing here?"

"Woah, Inoue? How in the hell can you see me?" Ichigo asked.

"Why shouldn't I?" Orihime asked as Ichigo checked out the chain on her chest.

_'Only spirit beings can see you. Normal humans cannot,'_ he remembered Rukia saying to him.

"That means..." Ichigo said.

"That's right!" The hollow was back. "She's a spirit being now. In other words, Orihime is dead!"

The hollow appeared. Ichigo tried to attack it, but he was thrown out the window and sent outside.

"Ichigo-san!" Momo exclaimed. "You okay?" She tried to aim for the arm that held Orihime, but the cut was too shallow and Momo was sent, by the hollow's tail, to the ground outside.

"Hinamori!" Toushirou yelled out. Without Luna or anyone else to hold him back, he rushed to her side.

With another swipe of its tail, Ichigo was sent to the ground right next to Momo.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled out.

"If you will let me, I'll go and finish him off. It won't take long," Sora went off, letting Orihime stand.

"No! I can't let you do that! Hurting someone just to have your own way is wrong!" Orihime yelled out.

"Be quiet!" Sora snapped at her. "Don't tell me what's wrong and what's right when it's your fault that I'm like this!"

Sora grabbed Orihime's neck with his claws.

"I should kill you on the spot for the way you've abandoned me. I'll kill you first!"

"No, you won't, you freak!" Ichigo stabbed Sora's tail, making him let go of Orihime and Ichigo kept stabbing the tail.

Momo kneeled next to Orihime as she coughed and choked while Sora recovered from his missing hand that Ichigo had just cut off.

"Let me ask you something, Captain Overbite. Do you know why older brothers are born first? There's a reason," Ichigo calmly said. "It's to protect the little brothers and sisters that follow."

"Ichigo!" Rukia and Toushirou had just come in through the door.

"And here you're threatening to kill you're own sister? Even a dead man doesn't have any right to say that!"

"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" Sora exclaimed. "Orihime is mine! I raised when our parents abandoned us. I was fifteen when she was born. When they left, she was three. I've protected her ever since. Orihime!" She looked up. "Come with me. If you listen to me, I won't a single hand on the others."

Orihime stood up, but Rukia stopped her. "Wait, stop! It's a trap. He may have the memories, but he no longer has the heart and feelings of a brother."

Orihime's hairpin glowed. This caused Sora to yell out in agony and slam his head into a wall.

"What's going on?" Momo exclaimed.

"Orihime...is...MINE!" Sora attacked again.

Ichigo blocked the attack with his sword. "As if! Inoue doesn't belong to anyone!" Ichigo chased him out, but hesitated to kill him. That gave him the perfect opportunity to have his hands get burned, making him drop his sword and body to the ground. However, he got up quickly. Sora aimed another attack at Ichigo, but someone else took the hit for him.

"Inoue..." Ichigo muttered.

"Ori...hime...why did you do that?"

"All of this happened...because of me...it's all my fault...because I begged you not to leave me alone."

Orihime fell to the ground, releasing Sora.

Sora then began screaming in agony again.

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked.

"He's fighting the hollow inside him," Momo said. "Apparently, this one didn't become a hollow by choice. He must have been taken over by a hollow. Don't you get it? His target was supposed to be you. A soul that is devoured by a strong hollow is manipulated by that hollow. In other words, a hollow who is after you and your brother took over a soul that you knew in life. Using that method, he knew you would hesitate to kill him. Sure enough, he was right. Right now, the brother's soul is desperately fighting that hollow for his sister's sake."

Suddenly, the hollow's mask broke, showing Sora's face. Orihime teared up and fell to the ground.

"No!" Sora cried out.

"Inoue!" Ichigo rushed to help her.

"It's alright!" Everyone stopped and looked at Rukia. "Luckily, the Chain of Fate is still attached to her chest. As long as it is not severed, she will not die." Rukia kneeled next to Orihime. "I need to treat her. Stay back."

"That hairpin she's wearing was a present from you, wasn't it, Sora? She told me that once. That's why she wears it every single day," Ichigo said.

Sora went over and grabbed Ichigo's sword.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ichigo asked him.

"I only have a few seconds left before the hollow overwhelms me again. So while I'm sane and can still think clearly, I'll end this."

"No!" Ichigo yelled.

"Stop, Ichigo-san," Momo said. "He's made the right choice. Once you become a hollow you can't go back to what you were before. Let him pass on."

"Momo..."

"It's ok," Rukia said. "You soon learn that exercising a hollow is not really killing it. You're basically cleansing a hollow of its sins so it can pass on to the Soul Society."

"Wait, I have to tell you before you pass on," Orihime said, sitting up, all healed. "I want to tell you what I didn't tell you that morning...'Onii-chan, have a good day'."

"Yeah, I'm off now," Sora said before committing suicide.

Momo and Rukia comforted a heartbroken Orihime.

"It's true!" Orihime said the next day. "A sumo champion really came into my room and blasted a whole in my wall with a gun!"

"Orihime," Mahana said, "If you're going to make up stories, at least make them sound realistic."

Ichigo, Rukia, Momo, and Toushirou looked on dumfounded.

"So that's what you did yesterday," Ichigo said.

_'Kurosaki-kun! What's with these monsters and all this...!' Rukia clicked a buttom in front of her face, and Orihime fell unconcious._

_'Inoue! What did you do to her?'_

_'Memory replacement. I replaced her memory of tonight and gave her a new one.'_

_'Memory Replacement?'_

_'But I can't choose the new memories, which can be a problem,' Rukia said._

_'So basically, tomorrow, we'll find out what she thinks happened tonight,' Momo finished._

"You used the same thing on my family the other night, didn't you?" Ichigo asked.

"Yep. What's wrong?" Rukia asked him.

"I don't have the resolve to do this yet. I'm not such a fine human being that I can promise to risk my life for a complete stranger, just like that," Ichigo said. "However, I'm not a total slime who'd watch someone get hurt right before my eyes. So I'll help you." Ichigo stuck out his hand. "At least, for now."

Rukia smiled and took his hand.

"Thanks, I'm counting on you."

_'He...actually wants to do this?'_

For some reason, Toushirou didn't really agree with this.

~3~3~3~3~

A/N: And that's Chapter 3! Review, please! Sorry if it seems kinda rushed. I jammed two episodes into one chapter and only brought out the main highlights.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here we go! Next chapter is up! But first, here are the Review Responses:

**bleach hui:** You caught on fast. At least I know that someone reads these.

**skylark dragonstar:** Thank you! Yep, that's what made Bleach so great. There are some more of those conversations in this chapter.

**Ermilus:** I'm so glad you like it.

**PartyPony2:** I was waiting for you to review before I posted this chapter up. Thank you so much for the comments and the advice.

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Bleach! All of it belongs to Tite Kubo.

And thank you all for the favs and the story alerts!

~4~4~4~4~

Chapter 4: The Cursed Cockatiel and the Nightmare Hollow

It was nighttime, and a siren was wailing in the distance.

"A cockatiel that's cursed?" He couldn't believe it.

"Yeah. They say whoever owns this bird gets bad luck too. All of its owners had been in terrible situations and died because of them."

"Are you serious? That's not a good sign."

"So, Shigeo, do you want him?"

The cockatiel listened intently.

"Not after you tell me that! How stupid do I look to you? Why don't you go dump him someplace?"

"No, that would be too cruel."

"What about you, Chad?"

"Yeah, isn't he cute?" The cage was held up to Chad's face.

"Knock it off, you idiot. You know Chad has a weakness for cute things!"

Above them, a construction bar started to distort and blur. The bird screeched and Chad knew that something was up. The bar started to move, out and over the ledge. Then, the bar fell. The bird still screeched.

The mist cleared and the found Chad standing above them, the now crooked bar straining against his back. His two friends merely sat there in awe.

"C-Chad?"

"A-Are you alright, Chad?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chad said, blood dripping down his forehead.

"Fine? You're bleeding, bro!"

Then came a voice that no one expected.

"Thank you for saving me." Chad looked down at the cockatiel, which was speaking. "My name is Shibata Yuichi. What's yours?"

"What? Did you hear that?"

"The bird...it just spoke..."

"What is your name, Mister?"

"Sado Yasutora. I'm fifteen years old."

"Hey, check it out. Chad's interested in the bird."

"Geez, I can't believe my injuries only healed in a day," Ichigo exclaimed the next day.

"Why are you so surprised?" Rukia asked him. "I got the best grades in my kidou class. I have a talent for it. Momo here does too." Here Momo nodded. "Healing you was easy."

"You got graded?" Ichigo asked.

"You mean there's actually a school for Shinigami?" Toushirou asked.

_'Why are you so surprised, Shirou-chan? You went there once too,'_ Momo thought, but she said. "Well, yes."

"I have a question, though. Tell me. How do I drink from this?" Rukia asked, holding up a juice box.

"Same here," Momo said, with a hint of red on her cheeks from being embarrassed.

"Oh, you just poke a hole in it with the end of your straw," Ichigo said.

"Straw?" Both girls asked. Both boys nodded.

"So...you four are together again, huh?" A voice sounded among the rooftop. The four looked at the source of the voice. "You four seem pretty chummy. Kinda like a double date."

"Mizuiro, shut up," Ichigo said. "Does this really look like a double date?"

"Am I wrong?"

"Hell yes!" Toushirou snapped.

"Well, to be honest, you four do seem to be pretty close. But, people are gonna talk. And sooner or later, everyone with think that you and Rukia are an item, as are Toushirou and Momo."

"Whatever," Ichigo said, poking his straw through his juice pouch.

"You know, if Ichigo and I really cared about what people thought, we would've both died our hair black a long time ago," Toushirou said, doing the same.

"That's true," Mizurio said.

"Aha! So this is the straw!" Momo exclaimed. "See, Rukia? It's right on the back."

"Oh, thank you, Momo," Rukia said. "Now I see."

"But...where do we poke it?" Momo asked. Mizuiro noticed.

"Hey there, Momo," he said.

"Why, hello...um...Kojima-kun?" Momo asked, unsure.

"Yep. I suppose we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Kojima Mizuiro. I really like-"

"Pickin' up chicks," Ichigo interrupted.

"Huh? No way, Ichigo, that's not cool!"

"Watch it, he may look like a dork, but he's a real flirt," Ichigo said. "Watch out, you two."

"Cut it out! You'll permanently damage my reputation!" Rukia blinked and finally got her straw in the box.

"What reputation?" Toushirou retorted.

"Why are you being so mean today, Toushirou?" Mizuiro asked.

"Because you thought we were on a double date," Toushirou retorted back. "And I didn't get enough sleep last night, so shut up!"

"Come on, Toushirou, be nice! Besides, I'm only interested in older women," Mizuiro said. "You know that." Rukia sipped from her juice box.

"Like I said, Rukia, look out for this guy," Ichigo said.

Then...

"What's this? Rukia and Momo, the hot new transfer students come to eat lunch with Ichigo and Toushirou? How did that happen?" Keigo asked, jogging over to the group.

"Ichigo and Toushirou picked them up." To this, Toushirou's ears perked up and he blushed a deep red.

"I DON'T LIKE HER LIKE THAT!"

"Good job!" Keigo gave the two brothers a thumbs-up.

"Thanks...I guess," Ichigo said.

Momo noticed a shadow against her face. She looked up to Keigo giving a salute.

"Greetings! I'm Asano Keigo and welcome, lovely lady, to this garden of manliness," Keigo said.

"Um...hello," Momo said.

"Alright! Lunch party! Right here! Right now!"

"With milk coffee and yakisoba bread?"

"Shut up! It's the feeling that counts! Oh, and Momo, if you find yourself needing anything, don't hesitate to call," Keigo said.

"Great! Open this!" Momo said, holding out her unopened juice box.

"Sure-!" Keigo's word was cut short by a kick in the face.

"Leave her alone, you jackass!" Toushirou, who was not in the mood for this nonsense, yelled.

"Whoa...so you really do like her?" Mizuiro teased. Toushirou's face went red. "He already filled in the category for defiance, quite a few times actually."

"SHUT UP!" Toushirou was definitely not in the mood.

Keigo backed up at the fury in his voice. He backed up into Chad, who was covered with bandages on various parts of his body.

"Chad!"

"Hey, Chad...are you okay?"

"Yeah, what happened?" Keigo asked.

"A steel beam fell on my head yesterday. As for my hand, I had a collision with a motorcycle. The force of the collision threw the rider off and he got hurt bad. So I just carried him to the hospital."

"No wonder you were late," Toushirou said.

"Yeah. Are you okay, Toushirou? You were yelling just now," Chad asked.

"Yeah, just Keigo being a complete idiot."

"Hey!"

"But geez, what is your body made of anyways?" Ichigo asked.

Chad set down the bird cage he was holding.

"Hey, what's with the bird?" Keigo asked.

"Hello, my name is Shibata Yuichi," the bird said.

Toushirou stopped in his tracks. Momo stopped her fussing with her juice box. Ichigo looked at it, as did Rukia.

"It's nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"Hey, that's amazing! It really does talk!" Keigo seemed fascinated. "My name is Asano Keigo. Can you say that?"

"Hey, Chad," Ichigo said. "Where'd you get this bird?"

"Yesterday...Someone gave it to me."

"Hold it!" Keigo shouted. "There you go again. You were about to tell us, but you got lazy and cut it short! Again! That's a bad habit you have! Now, explain!"

"That was the whole story."

"There you go again-!"

"Would you idiots knock it off?" Toushirou punched Keigo in the face. "I'm trying to study for a test next period that I didn't have time to study for last night!"

Ichigo was silent.

"Don't worry," Rukia said. "Something is in that bird, but it's not evil. It's probably just a lonely spirit. But we can't just leave it. It might turn into a hollow. We should perform a konso tonight."

"Great, another sleepless night," Ichigo mumbled.

"Hey, don't complain. It doesn't help," Momo said.

"I think he knows that," Toushirou said, putting down his book and taking Momo's juice box out of her hand. He took her straw and poked the hole with it and gave it back to her. "There."

"Thank you, Shirou-chan..."

Toushirou paused. He slowly turned to face her, but said nothing. _'What did she just call me?'_ Instead, he said, "No problem."

"We both met Chad, back in the eighth grade, which was the grade that Toushirou skipped, so he was in seventh at the time. The color of our hair always got people's attention, but not in a good way. And it got us into these fights. It was when we got into a little scrape. He just came up and saved us, but he didn't fight back. He never does. Not even when people egg him on," Ichigo said, reminiscing.

"He's an odd one," Rukia said, all four watching Chad feed the bird.

"Yeah," Ichigo said.

"This juice is good," Momo said.

"Enjoy," Toushirou responded, gently.

"Hey, Toushirou," Chad said, after school. "I'm going to the book store, and I hear they have the book on sale, the one you want to read so badly. You wanna come with me?"

"Sure," Toushirou said. He turned to the other three. "Don't worry about me, Ichigo. I'll be with Chad, okay? I'll be home before dinner."

"Okay, just be careful," Ichigo said.

That night, Ichigo walked into the front door of his house.

"I'm home!"

"Move, Ichi-nii! Out of the way!" Karin yelled, running past him.

"Hey, what's going on? Where's the fire?" Ichigo asked.

"Welcome home, Onii-chan," Yuzu said, also walking past him.

"Yuzu, what's going on?" Ichigo asked.

"An accident. There was a big car wreck down by the corner."

"A car wreck?" Ichigo repeated. Then he remembered. "Oh, yeah, is Toushirou home yet?"

Yuzu paused. "Um...yeah..."

Ichigo immediately knew that something was up. "Yuzu...is he okay?"

"Why don't you go check with Oto-san?" Yuzu suggested before turning around and walking away, back to her business.

"I just told you! You can't take that many? Well, here's a news flash. They need to go somewhere. We can't treat 'em all here! We're a small clinic. Tell your boss this is a request from Kurosaki Isshin. He'll find me some hospital beds that are open. No problem! Just do it!" He then slammed the phone back on the hook.

"Oto-san..." Ichigo said cautiously.

"Damn stupid idiots, they wouldn't know a stethoscope from a cell phone."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"No!" Ichigo froze. "Just assume the fetal position and stay out of the way."

So now Ichigo was sitting right outside the hall.

"Oto-san! We've got this one last patient!"

"Right! Man, this guy's as big as they come. Ichigo, come in here and get to work!"

"You bet!" Ichigo stood up and walked into the room and saw...

Chad, actually needing to use Isshin as crutch...

Toushirou...holding his shoulder, which looked like it was chewed off, literally...

And the bird, with a strange look of sadness on its face.

Chad took off his shirt after he sat down on the bed.

"Woah...what a horrible wound!" Yuzu exclaimed.

"What happened to you out there? This looks like a pretty nasty burn. But I think I can help you out," Isshin said.

_'I got this feeling...'_ Ichigo thought.

Toushirou couldn't keep his eyes off the bird.

"Now with this burn, you're going to have to take it easy for a while."

"No."

"Huh?"

"I'm...okay now. Besides, it's Toushirou you ought to be worried about," Chad said, standing and walk to the door. That brought Ichigo's attention back to his brother.

"You're crazy! There's no way you're fine after losing so much blood!" Isshin exclaimed.

Chad fell back to the ground.

"See? Yuzu, Karin, get a bed ready for him," Isshin ordered.

"Gotcha!" Yuzu said. "Let's get you to bed, okay?" Karin followed suit.

"Ichigo, get Chad on the bed, and then come back down and get Toushirou up to your room," Isshin said.

Ichigo came back for Toushirou, who was being looked over one last time by Isshin.

"It's okay, Toushirou. Your bleeding has stopped, and I'll give you some pain killers, which might work. But they may not."

Toushirou could only nod, considering how much pain he was in.

Isshin got up and walked past Ichigo, saying, "Go ahead, Ichigo."

Ichigo swung Toushirou's arms over his shoulders and hoisted him up piggy-back style. Toushirou hissed in pain at the new position of his shoulder. Ichigo muttered a quick apology.

"Did you feel it?" Ichigo asked the two Shinigami girls up in his room.

"Of course. I felt it all the way in here. But, I sense nothing evil in Chad's bird," Rukia said.

"But both Chad and Toushirou's wounds...they really reek of a hollow," Momo said, sitting on the edge of Toushirou's bed, which was occupied by Toushirou himself, sleeping on his good shoulder.

"Toushirou...what happened...?" Ichigo asked.

"Hollow...burned Chad's back after it bit my shoulder..." Toushirou muttered painfully.

Momo hovered her hands over his injured shoulder and a green aura came from them. Toushirou immediately felt the pain subside. He murmured a quiet "Thank you". Momo only nodded, a look of worry ever evident across her face.

But the kidou that Momo was performing brought Toushirou's mind to something else.

*Flashback*

_It was a quiet evening._

_"Thank you, Chad, for bringing me to the book store," Toushirou said._

_"It was no problem, really," Chad said._

_Toushirou smiled one of his rare smiles._

_"So, how'd you do on the algebra test today?" Chad asked._

_"Well...I hope. I didn't get much sleep last night..." Toushioru muttered, rubbing some sleep from his eyes. He paused abruptly. Toushirou stopped and looked around cautiously._

_"What's wrong?" Chad asked. The bird screeched in worry._

_There was an intense silence before Toushirou suddenly shouted out, "CHAD, LOOK OUT!"_

_Toushirou shoved Chad away from him as hard as he could, and then felt a terrible pain in his shoulder. He faintly heard the bird screech. He looked to the side, feeling blood gushing from his shoulder like he was giving out free concert tickets, and saw, and heard, multiple cars crash into each other, and saw Chad fall with blood pouring from his back. Toushirou held his hand out, seeing the familiar trait with all hollows: a hollow mask, as if to tell it to go away._

_Much to Toushirou's surprise, a red light came from his own hand, to which the hollow sheilded his eyes and retreated into a black mist._

_After that, Toushirou's world went black, only to wake up in the Kurosaki Clinic._

*End*

Toushirou slowly fell asleep, but he couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about the bird.

The next morning seemed normal.

"Good morning! Onii-chan, breakfast is ready!"

"Oh, good."

"Where's Shirou-chan? Oto-san wanted him to come to breakfast this morning, even though he's hurt," Yuzu said.

"He's still in bed. It's not like him, but he said he wasn't feeling too good. Almost as though he were sick."

"Oh..." Yuzu was now worried.

"Ichigo! Bad news! Chad has disappeared from his room!" Isshin burst through the door.

Ichigo ran down the street.

"Ichigo!" Ichigo stopped to let Rukia and Momo catch up to him.

"Any clues?" Momo asked.

"No, how about you?" Ichigo asked.

"No luck either," Rukia said. "How's Toushirou?"

"He's not feeling so good," Ichigo said, a hint worry present in his tone of voice.

"Well, the Soul Society can't detect anything either," Momo said. "And without Toushirou, finding the hollow is going to be even harder."

"The hollow is targeting Chad," Ichigo said. "I just know it. But if we wait for it to show up and attack him, it'll be too late!" Ichigo exclaimed. "Gotta think..." He remembered the bird. "I got an idea. That cockatiel that Chad had!"

"No, that's impossible," Rukia said.

Ichigo sighed, frustrated, then concentrated...

"What's this sensation?" Momo asked herself.

Toushirou coughed. "Ichi...go.." He painfully got up. "I have...to tell him..."

_'He's trying to feel that soul in the bird. Even I can't sense such a weak soul,'_ Rukia thought.

Then, ribbons burst from the ground. Ichigo grabbed one. "Found him!" He then ran to the right.

_'Amazing...he just saw spirit ribbons, visible rays of reiatsu...only a high level Shingami can see those...'_ Rukia thought.

Finally, the three found Chad.

"Chad!" Chad turned, looked at the three, and then turned around and ran in the opposite direction.

"Hey, wait! Chad! You need my help! Hold up!" Ichigo shouted back at him.

"Ichi...go..." Ichigo turned around to see Toushirou leaning heavily on against a telephone pole.

"Toushirou!" Ichigo exclaimed, and ran up to him. "Are you okay? You shouldn't be out here!"

"Ichigo," Rukia said. "Why don't you take him back home while Momo and I go after Chad, okay?"

Ichigo nodded and picked Toushirou up in his arms and ran back home.

"You're going to be alright, Toushirou! Just hang in there!"

"Ichigo...I...saw it...last night, the memories of the spirit that possessed that cockatiel...I don't know if it was because of my high reiatsu or something else, but...the strongest memory that remains in that child's mind...his mother was murdered...right before his eyes, and I saw everything that he saw...You must tell him that...if he goes to the other side...she'll be there, waiting for him...Please, Ichigo! You have to help that poor boy! Don't let him...be alone anymore...all the pain he's gone through...it must end...right here, right now!"

_'Damn!'_ Rukia thought._ 'It's not easy running in this gigai.' _Momo was running beside her.

"What a nice smell..."

Both Shinigami stopped in their tracks.

The hollow appeared below them, then beside them.

"You smell...wonderful. Time to eat...your soul!"

The hollow attacked and Rukia did a back flip to avoid it.

"So you're tougher than I thought. And you can see me. That makes me curious. Who are you-?"

Rukia sent a knee kick to its face, and then swung herself on top of it. "The one who reigns! Mask of flesh, all creation, flap of wings, the one who carries the title of human! In the name of truth and temperance, dig your claws into the wall of sinless dreams! Hadou no San Juu San: Soukatsui!" There was an explosion near the hollow's head.

_'I did it! I got my powers back!'_ Rukia thought.

Oh, but she didn't. The hollow remained unscathed.

"I know that attack. It's a Shinigami spell. But yours was so weak, it had no bite to it. Too bad," The hollow said, sounding disappointed.

"My, my, a tender little Shinigami whose lost her powers," the hollow teased. He turned to Momo. "I take it you're in the same situation."

"Yeah, right, you wish!" Momo said, swallowing her gikongan and departing from her gigai.

Toushirou let the tears flow. He buried his head into Ichigo's shirt and sobbed.

"Don't worry, Toushirou...Just let me handle everything..." Ichigo whispered.

~4~4~4~4~

A/N: And that's Chapter 4! Review, please! Geez, I update pretty fast…

Question of the Chapter: Can anyone guess what Toushirou just displayed? There's a specific word as to what he is.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here we go! Next chapter is up! But first, here are the Review Responses:

**PartyPony2**: I won't confirm your suspicions until later on in the story. (So many mysteries!) To be honest, I haven't really decided if it will be a HitsuHina romance, or a sibling type of thing. Guess I'll find the answer as the story goes. No, he is not the Shinenju (Memory Rosary). Movie 1 actually has nothing to do with this story. I might add it later as a side story, but that's undecided. The movie I'm referencing (the most) is Movie 2. And, we'll find out about the spirit ribbons later on. I haven't gotten that far ahead yet.

**skylark dragonstar:** That's what I'm trying to make my story do, get people to read more. And I'm amazed how fast you guys catch on.

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Bleach! All of it belongs to Tite Kubo.

And thank you all for the favs and the story alerts!

~5~5~5~5~

Chapter 5: The Difference between Right and Wrong

Ichigo kept running.

_'How many years has it been since I last saw Toushirou cry? Until our mom died, Toushirou was a somewhat outgoing kid, just like Karin and Yuzu. After Mom died, Yuzu, who was the clever and responsible one, tried to fill in for our mom, and began to take over the housekeeping, and Karin tried to help her. But Toushirou, who wasn't good at much of anything, stopped crying altogether so as not to worry the rest of us. Even when he lost a fight with an upperclassman or completely shattered his ankle playing soccer once, he never cried. So if he's crying, then he must really be in pain,' _Ichigo thought.

_'I saw the memories of the spirit possessing that bird. I saw his mother killed. It happened right before his eyes! You have to help that poor boy. Please, do it!'_

_'Just leave this to me, Toushirou...'_

Rukia and Momo were both slammed into the wall. Momo's sword was lying eight feet away from her, behind the hollow. So even if she broke free, she'd have to get past the hollow to get her sword.

"Are you two really Shinigami? If you are, then take off that meat suit and fight me for real! Use that spell on me once more. Hit with you best shot!" Rukia and Momo said nothing. They merely struggled against the hollow's right grip.

"Either way, you both die-!" The hollow was cut off by a hard blow to the way. It fell to the ground.

"Hey...I hit something...Alright..." Chad said.

_'He...actually landed a punch on a hollow...'_ Rukia couldn't believe it.

_'Can he see spirits?' _Momo asked. Chad was punching open air. _'I'm guessing...no.'_

"It was just a lucky punch. He scared me for a minute there. I thought he could see me."

Chad landed yet another punch right in the hollow's face.

"Alright...I got him again..." Chad said.

_'I...I can't believe what I'm seeing,' _Momo thought. _'And I'm sure Rukia-san is thinking the same thing. He can't see the hollow, much less hear his voice. By sheer force, he's calmly facing down an enemy whose power he cannot even imagine. It's like he has no sense of fear...'_

"Damn you..." The hollow growled. He jumped up and spread his wings and laughed. "Let's see you try and punch me down, you clueless human toad. You'll never even see me coming. And what are you going to do, you good-for-nothing Shinigami!" He aimed that last one at Momo, who merely narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, don't just stand there! Get moving!" Rukia yelled at Chad. "He's in the air right above you!"

"Hey there, new girl...you can see spirits?" Chad asked.

"Never mind about that! In any case, at a distance..."

"Where is he?" Chad cut her off.

"Huh?"

"He's flying, right? Which direction?"

"What good would knowing that do?" Rukia asked.

"If you've got a fly, you use a fly swatter..."

Meanwhile, in the air, the hollow said, "So many ways I can attack him. Shall I do a hit-and-run and snatch him like a falcon?"

Chad grunted and yelled and broke the telephone pole in half.

"What the hell?"

"Now..." Chad told Rukia. "Where is he?"

"Right there! Swing down right there!" Rukia said.

The hollow could only watch as the telephone pole brought him crashing down to the ground. Rukia ran up to him and Chad threw the broke piece of wood to the ground.

"You're finished now, hollow. Momo, now!"

Momo could now grab her sword. She raised it over her head and prepared to swing it down.

"Shinigami...the whole bunch of you, are always...getting beaten by us!"

Little creatures jumped from the bushes behind the three and pounced on them, catching them by surprise, and pinned them to the ground.

"Looks like the show's on the other foot..."

_'Oh no...Tobiume...help...'_ Momo thought desperately.

"You Shinigami take us too lightly. That's why you keep ending up like this."

Rukia and Momo struggled.

"Now… who shall I eat first? I think I'll save the human for last..."

Chad gave out another cry and he broke free from whatever was pinning him to the ground.

"What? You're the craziest human I've ever seen!" The hollow cried. "You can't even see me, yet you think you can destroy me with sheer muscle power? I'm going to enjoy eating you!"

Chad aimed another punch at the hollow, but the hollow dodged it in time.

_'Damn...he almost landed another one on me! He's got pretty good instincts.'_

"This way, Chad! Kick the air above me!" Rukia called out.

Chad kicked the little creatures right off of Rukia.

"Another lucky hit!" The hollow cried.

Chad was punching the air again. "He's not there! He's in the air again."

"Oh..."

"But I think I have a plan..."

A few moments later, Chad muttered, "Hey, new girl, if you ask me, there are some problems with this plan of yours."

"Don't worry about it. It will work," Rukia said.

Momo, meanwhile, was getting up, since the creatures jumped back up to the hollow. _'I think what Rukia-san's trying to do is utilize Sado-kun's strength and her intelligence.'_

"You must be smart, because this seems pretty stupid to me," Chad muttered.

"Let me do the thinking for the both of us," Rukia said. "Just aim me. I'll tell you where."

"Where? This way?"

"Left..."

"Left?"

"Too far! Too far! Right!"

"Here?"

"Perfect! Now, get ready to launch me...Steady..." Momo got ready to jump as Chad got ready to launch Rukia.

"If I'm this far up in the air, no electric pole with reach me!"

"Fire!" Rukia and Momo were flying at the hollow. "Give up," Rukia muttered.

"It's over, hollow," Momo said.

"You right, Shinigami! I was a fool to think I could defeat you two! I surrender! Ha! Kidding!" A creature appeared on each of the hollow's shoulders, which spat out purple leeches at Rukia and Momo.

Rukia cried out as she fell.

"I got you!" Chad caught Rukia as she fell. "What happened?"

"Sorry about that. He caught me by surprise. Thanks for catching me," Rukia said.

"Damn...What are these things sticking to me? Leeches?" Momo cried, catching Rukia's attention.

"Exactly! Try all you like," the hollow said, as Momo tried to pull them off. "They won't come off so easily. And you'll find out they have a nasty little habit...of exploding!" With its tongue, the hollow let out a high frequency sound wave, making the leeches explode. Both girls fell to the ground. Momo was close to passing out.

"New girl! What happened?" Chad desperately asked Rukia.

"Are you surprised? Your guard was wide open."

Chad got up and stood in front of the hollow. "Hey, new girl...you and your friend get out of here."

"You...you can see Momo?" Momo weakly looked up at this.

"No...But I know she's there..." Chad said.

Rukia and Momo said nothing.

"Oh, you want some more, eh, hotshot? But first, there's someone I want you to meet."

The hollow revealed the bird.

"Huh?"

"I get it...he ran off a while ago to gain some time to bring this here...!"

"I'm sorry, Mister...He caught me..."

"That's okay."

"Looks like you understand, big boy. And with three leech bombs on the bird cage, you'll do exactly as I say. It's time to play with you, Shinigami in the meat suit. Run! Let me enjoy hunting you down!"

"Do as he says!" Rukia said, standing up. "Don't think for a second that he won't blow up the bird. At least the chase will take him away from here, so you and Momo will be safe."

"What about you?" Momo struggled to get out.

"Don't worry about me. I gave my word...not to foul up."

"Good luck!"

Rukia nodded and then ran off. The leech bombs followed her.

"This is getting fun!" The hollow said, also gaining on her tail.

Rukia ran. The leeches gained up on her. Soon they were right beside her, on either side. They readied leach bombs. Rukia jumped up and avoided the jets of leeches. She landed on the edge of a wall, but was sprayed by yet another jet stream of leeches.

"This might sting a little!" The hollow laughed and sent out the sound wave, making the bombs explode.

"How nice to see you covered in your own blood. You're so pretty. I think red becomes you, Shinigami! Let see some more!"

The hollow threw another creature at her. Rukia ran right past it.

"Faster, faster, faster! Come on!" The hollow laughed. "How long do you intend to keep running? Like you could actually turn around and fight me!"

The hollow stopped because Rukia did the same.

"Done already? Have you given up already? That's no fun. Come on, run, will you?"

"I haven't give up...I have no need to run anymore."

"What?"

"You challenged me to attack you, didn't you? Or was that just an idiotic bluff?" Rukia turned to face the hollow. "Either way, you're about to meet your doom. You challenged me to attack you, and attack you, I will!"

The hollow growled.

"Hold on!" Ichigo stomped on the hollow's head, pinning it to the ground.

"Perfect timing, Ichigo," Rukia said.

"You act like you planned it this way! Didn't you promise to not worry me by fouling up?"

"Well now, that's a line for someone who's even a little bit worried, to say."

"I guess you're right."

"How touching. Are you going to keep standing on my head all day?" Ichigo got up right as the hollow got yet another kick to the face.

Both Ichigo and Momo landed right next to him, standing back to back.

"What! How did you heal so fast?"

"That was just a clone, created by me with the help of my zanpaktou!" Momo said cheerfully. "Hinamori Momo, Lieutenant of the Fifth Division!"

"And Kurosaki Ichigo, Substitute Shinigami. And if you want to play some serious tag, I think it's us you ought to chase." Rukia put on her red glove.

"Substitute Shinigami? Damn. I screwed up...when the three of you split up back there, I should have gone after the Substitute!"

The creatures spit out more leeches. The hollow sent out the sound wave.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, splitting Ichigo's soul from his body. Luna grabbed his body before it could be harmed, as the explosion rang out throughout the area.

"Where'd you go?"

Ichigo unsheathed his sword and got the hollow's left arm.

"You're too slow. I can tell your soul is going to be tasty!"

_'Come on, Ichigo-san. Distract him a little longer.'_

"Ruler! The mask of flesh and blood! All things in the universe that fly! That which names all, heat and war. Beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south! Hadou no San Juu Ichi: Shakkahou!"

Momo's kidou spell hit the hollow with much greater force that Rukia's. The hollow yelled out in pain.

"Great job, Momo!" Rukia said.

"Thanks! But now's not the time for celebration just yet."

"Say hello...to my little friends!"

"I see. So you used those bombs to pin down Chad so you could attack a defenseless girl. You're nothing but a coward. Time to pay!"

"The only price I'm going to pay is indigestion."

"Ichigo! Ichigo! What's wrong?" Chad called out.

"Don't worry," Rukia told. "Right now, Ichigo is fighting to protect us all."

Ichigo cut open the creatures. All three landed on a ground beside and behind him with a splat.

"Good move. But remember, the leeches spilling from their guts are still live ammunition!"

The hollow sent out the sound wave, making the leeches explode. Ichigo jumped up from the smoke and held his giant sword right at the hollow's neck. Momo followed suit.

"Tell me...before I slice and dice you...You killed the mother of that boy inside the cockatiel, didn't you? You might as well admit it. Because either way, you're going down!" Ichigo said.

"Is that true?" Rukia asked.

"I'm afraid it's all my fault. Because of me, the man the two girls, and the boy all got hurt. It's all because I wanted to bring my mom back to life. I never meant for this to happen. If I knew people would get hurt, I never would have done it. I'm sorry...I just wanted to see my mother again."

"Wait!" Rukia said. "Did he tell you that he could bring your mother back to life? How could you believe such a lie?"

"Because he wanted to believe it!"

"Bastard!"

"Yes, I killed that kid's mother, back when I was still alive. You might have heard about me. I was all over the TV, the news, the radio, everywhere. I was a famous serial killer. They never would've caught me either, but I was too smart. I'd still be out there, hunting today, but as it turned out, the kid's mother was my last score. She was a sweet one. I stabbed her eight times and she ran and ran, bleeding. She barely had any breath left, but she still tried to protect the kid."

*Flashback*

_Another rock hit her face. This time it scratched her, making her bleed. The next stone never hit her. Momo looked up to see her best friend standing in front of her. He turned to look at her, a big, nasty bruise on his face._

_"S-Shirou-chan..." Momo teared up. "Taking hits for me..."_

_"I have to, Hinamori...otherwise, you'll get killed by your own naivety..." Toushirou softly said._

*End*

"I really got off on it. But that's where everything went sour. I chased her onto the balcony and finished her off. Then that stupid kid grabbed my shoe laces. I lost my balance and fell twenty stories down. Who would've thought I'd get knocked over by a snot-nosed kid? Suddenly, I was dead, I was pissed, and I wanted payback. The punk kid was still alive, so I ripped his soul from his body and stuck it in the stupid cockatiel. Then I told him this: If he could run from me in that bird body for three full months, I'd bring his precious mommy back to life."

"Bring someone back to life-?" Ichigo asked.

"Fool! Of course, I couldn't do that! Bringing a dead person back to life is impossible! I just said that to get the brat to play along. And it worked like a charm. He runs from me and I get the thrill of the chase. Plus, there's the added pleasure of slaughtering everyone who tries to help him! And when he cries _'Don't hurt them!'_ and he wants to quit our little game, that's when I use my clincher. _'Mommy's waiting for you to save her!_' What a laugh! But it always works! Hahaha!" The hollow grabbed both the swords. "What about you? It's time to kill you both!" He threw some more leeches. Ichigo merely grabbed them, stepping in front of Momo. "Your defense is weak, Shinigami!"

Ichigo sped up and punched the hollow in its face with the hand that held the leech bombs, smashing its mask surrounding its mouth. "Here! Take your bomb back! What's wrong? Aren't you gonna set it off now? Go ahead and click your tongue!" The hollow said and did nothing. "Well if you aren't going to use it, then I might as well...take it from you!" Ichigo ripped the hollow's tongue right out of its mouth.

"Ah, my tongue! Ah! You son of a-! Ah!"

Momo gave the hollow no time to think. She slashed the hollow right across its mask.

The slicing motion grew and the doors of Hell sprang up from the ground.

"Wha-What is that?" Ichigo asked, tensing up.

"Don't worry," Momo said. "Those are the gates of Hell, but they're only opening for him. The zanpaktou can only wash away the sins a soul has committed as a hollow. Those who commit sins while alive go to Hell."

The hollow screamed in even more pain, but was silenced when it was stabbed in the chest. As the doors closed, Momo muttered angrily, "That...was for Shirou-chan..."

"Well?" It was sunset and Momo was back into her gigai.

"It's unfortunate, but...his chain of fate has been severed. There's no sign if it. There's no way I can return him to his body."

"Yuichi..."

"Oh, no..."

"But don't worry!" Momo said, back to her cheerful self. "The Soul Society isn't a scary place! You'll be happy there. You'll never get hungry and you'll never grow old. In fact, it's a much better place to live in than this world."

"Oh...?" Ichigo said. "You can say that...when you're just a hanger-on...?"

"Wha-?"

"But, anyways, that's not the point. When you pass over, you'll see your mom again." Yuichi straightened up and smiled. "Maybe we can't bring her back to life, but she is on the other side, waiting for you. And this time...it's really true."

"Ichigo..." Rukia said.

"Mister Sado...thank you for everything...you carried me everywhere in your arms and protect me from a terrible monster."

"Don't mention it."

"Well, I guess I'll be going now. Thank you all very much."

"Yuichi? When I pass over one day, would you mind if I carried you around again?"

Yuichi, the spirit, nodded. "And please give the snowy-haired boy my best regards, too..."

"Don't worry, I will," Ichigo said. "Now...let's begin the konso."

In his sleep, Toushirou's tears of pain and sadness turned to tears of happiness.

"Ichigo...thank you..."

The hell butterfly flew up into the night sky.

~5~5~5~5~

A/N: Review, please!

Remember this question from the previous chapter: "Can anyone guess what Toushirou just displayed? There's a specific word as to what he is."

The answer: It's "empath". He's actually a spiritual empath. That means, he can sense the emotions and see the memories of any kind of spirit. That's what was slowing him down in Chapter 2, or part of the reason. The second reason is yet to come.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here we go! Next chapter is up! But first, here are the Review Responses:

**PartyPony2**: Actually, an empath exists in Yami no Matsuei/Descendants of Darkness, named Hisoka. If you want a more inside look on the power of empathy, look at his profile somewhere. Spiritual empathy is merely empathy on spirits. More flashbacks will probably appear later on in the story. And thanks so much for your advice!

**HiddenChaser: **Yeah, well, I have a knack of doing that a lot. And here is your update.

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Bleach! All of it belongs to Tite Kubo.

And thank you all for the favs and the story alerts!

Note: I decided to skip the Kon, Grand Fisher, and the Don Kanonji chapters. Let's just say that that Toushirou and Kon don't get along very well, especially since Momo's a bit naïve and Kon's…well…a pervert. *Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge*. The other two chapters went exactly as they did in the anime/manga, but this is actually where the climax of the plot takes place, so this is it. This beginning bit is like an epilogue from the Don Kanonji chapter, just like the anime in Episode 14. But thanks again to PartyPony2 for all the advice to "don't be afraid of change'!

~6~6~6~6~

Chapter 6: The Last Quincy

"This is absolutely outrageous! Don't you kids see the damage that you kids have done?" Mr. Kagine's voice rang through the principle's office. "This show was broadcasted on national television yesterday! Look at this!" Mr. Kagine presses the button on the remote, which turned on the TV.

The TV showed Ichigo getting jumped on by loads of burly security officers.

"Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia! Do you know how much dishonor you two have brought upon this school by committing such an act of civil disobedience?" Kagine grabbed Ichigo's collar.

"Mr. Kagine, sir, I understand why you're angry with Rukia and Ichigo for acting like a couple of pure-bred idiots, by why are Orihime and I here too? We didn't have anything to do with it," Tatsuki said.

"You were there, too, weren't you?" Kagine retorted.

"That was just a coincidence," Tatsuki interjected. "We met them by total accident and were never involved."

"Great," Ichigo mumbled, "Thanks a lot. I'll remember this when you need someone to bail you out."

"Anyways, we're going back to class," Tatsuki said, her and Orihime bowing and exiting the room.

"Goodbye, Mr. Kagine," Orihime said.

"Yeah, me too..." Keigo said.

"Not so fast, Mr. Asano," Kagine said, pulling him back by his collar. "You were there with him, yet you did nothing to stop him. Therefore, you're just as guilty as Ichigo!"

"I don't see what the big deal is," Toushirou angrily intervened. "It's just a damn TV show."

"You don't get it!" Kagine said, grabbing Toushirou by his collar, whose stoic, angry face remained, by some miracle, unfazed. "That's the trouble with you kids!" ("Kid?" Toushirou mumbled angrily.) "You kids are never aware of the consequences of your actions! It's depressing!"

"I'm...so sorry," Rukia said, tearing up. "I really did try to stop Ichigo, but he wouldn't listen. All he ever thinks about is himself and he was so obsessed about getting on television. The whole thing is all my fault, and now my last day at this school is ruined because of it. But, go ahead and...punish me..."

"Oh, don't cry, Kuchiki-san. I understand. You did everything could."

Meanwhile, the boys, plus Momo, were slowly headed towards the window.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Kagine. So you'll punish Ichigo and let me go?"

Kagine looked at the window, which was wide open and in the distance the six students were running away.

"YOU PUNKS! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET OFF THAT EASY! I KNOW WHERE YOU ALL LIVE!"

'That's just plain creepy,' Toushirou thought.

Kagine turned around. "Oh, great! Now Kuchiki's gone too! Principal!"

"Just do me a favor. The next time you see Ichigo, could you get his autograph for me?"

"HAS EVERYONE AROUND HERE LOST THEIR MINDS?"

"Way to go, Rukia! Thanks to your awesome performance, it let us all off, free of all charge," Keigo said.

"Oh, thank you. It was nothing, really."

"You idiot, don't compliment her. She tried to sell me out," Ichigo said.

"You do have to admit, Ichigo, it was her phony crying that you were able to get away too," Tatsuki said.

"Actually, I kind of enjoyed it. After all, it was just an act," Rukia said. "But trust me. I would never sell out a good friend like Ichigo."

Ichigo grit his teeth, and Toushirou thought, _'Yeah, right.'_

Momo's soul pager beeped.

"Oh, Ichigo-san, Rukia-san, can I talk to you for a minute? In private?" Momo turned and bowed. "Please, excuse us, everyone." Then, she, Rukia, and Ichigo ran off.

Toushirou narrowed his eyes sadly. _'Of course, all I can ever do is wait. Why do I have to be so helpless? Why do I feel so useless?' _Toushirou sensed something else and turned toward a window up on the second floor. He noticed a strange figure, which paused and walked away. _'Who...is that?'_ Toushirou turned to Chad, who he noticed saw the figure too. _'This place just gets weirder and weirder,'_ Toushirou thought before turning away and following the others, Chad closely behind him.

"What the hell is this?" Ichigo asked. "There's no damn hollow here!"

Momo was fumbling with her pager. Rukia turned to her, "Are you sure that pager works?" Rukia sheathed her sword. "That's strange. It was a strong signal, but it just up and vanished."

"Yeah," Momo agreed.

"Hey, you, spirit guy!" Ichigo shouted at the spirit. "You didn't happen to take off a hollow's head by any chance, did you?"

"Hollow? You mean that scary bug-like thing? I was so scared. I thought I was gonna pee my pants!" The spirit was stopped mid-hug by Ichigo's foot.

"I don't care about your problems. I want to know what happened to it!" Ichigo said.

"Wait, let me try," Rukia said. "Since you saw the hollow so clearly, then you also must have seen who killed it."

"Not really. I had my eyes closed the whole time. I was so scared!" Again, the spirit guy was stopped mid-hug by Rukia's foot.

"Well, it's konso time, I suppose," Momo said, turning to Ichigo.

"Wait a minute! What's a konso? Get that sword away from me!"

"Third in the class?" Tatsuki said. "Pretty smart for a girl, Orihime."

The test scores had been posted up.

"Oh..." Keigo interjected. "Let the girls get their high scores. At least no one in our gang betrayed us by getting into the top 50."

"Actually, take a look, here and here," Mizuiro said.

_Number 23, Kurosaki Ichigo and Number 2, Kurosaki Toushirou._

"What? Number 23 and Number 2? Cheaters! There's no way you could be so high!"

"Shut up," the two brothers said, simultaneously.

"We score so high because we study," Ichigo said, before turning to Toushirou, "Good job, Toushirou. You seriously need to help me study more."

"Thanks, you're not so bad yourself," Toushirou, allowing a rare, small smile to spread across his features. Seeing this, Momo also smiled.

"It's actually a surprise that you two actually study," Mizuiro said.

"Our hair gets enough attention. We're not gonna be academic losers on top of it," Ichigo said.

"Good point," Keigo said. "Sorry I ragged on you. But…Chad wouldn't do something crazy like score in the top fifty, right?"

Chad pointed to his name.

_Number 11, Sado Yasotura._

"AHH! I had no idea I was hanging out with a bunch of geeks and brainiacs. I'm out of here!" Keigo ran away, Mizuiro close behind him.

"Well, they'll be back," Tatsuki said.

"Well, at least, one of us didn't score in the Number 1 spot like...Ishida Ametatsu?"

"Ishida Uryuu," Orihime said.

"You know him?"

"Of course, he's in our class."

"Huh?"

"You'll find out that Ichigo has a knack for forgetting people's faces and the names that go with them," Tatsuki said. "Come on, Orihime, let's go."

That night, Ichigo, Momo, both in gigais, and Toushirou watched as Rukia, in Shinigami form, opened the Senkaimon with her zanpaktou.

"Well, I'll be seeing you later, Hinamori," Rukia said.

Momo nodded. "Good luck, Kuchiki-san. I hope they're not too harsh with your sentence."

Rukia nodded, who then entered the Gate, which closed behind her.

"Breaking up?" Momo and Ichigo whipped around to hear a strange voice, and a figure walking towards them. "The Shinigami couldn't take anymore and so she left? How unprofessional. Good evening, Kurosaki, Hinamori."

"Who are you?" Ichigo demanded, stepping in front of Momo and Toushirou. "How do you know our names if you don't mind me asking?"

"Kurosaki, you can see spirits, right?"

"What the hell are you saying?"

Both the stranger and Toushirou turned their heads in the same direction. "A hollow!"

"No way," Momo said. A few seconds later, her Soul pager beeped. "And there it is. And order."

The stranger pointed to the right, his back facing them. "It's over there."

"Huh?"

"Can you not sense such a simple thing? And you three call yourselves Shinigami?"

Ichigo and Momo didn't seem to notice what the stranger just said, but Toushirou caught it.

_'Did he just say all three of us? He couldn't be talking about Kuchiki! She just left!'_

With his cross-charmed bracelet, he formed an energy bow in his right hand. With it, he drew back an energy arrow and released it. The arrow hit the hollow dead on, which disappeared just like that.

"The signal just vanished!" Momo exclaimed.

"So tell me, who or what are you?"

"Ishida Uryuu, a Quincy, and I hate Shinigami."

"Damn! What is with that guy?" Ichigo stomped down the hallway. "What was his name was again? Mack? No. Iki-something. No. Iki-bow? No. Ichi-armadillo! Dammit!"

"Ishida Uryuu?" Orihime, who popped out from nowhere, asked him.

"Inoue...um, yeah."

"It's a pretty cool name, huh?"

"Yeah! I was just saying it to myself because it's just a cool sounding name!"

"I agree! In fact, I saw it too myself every time I sit next to him in the Handicrafts Club!"

"Handi-what?"

Uryuu walked up a flight of stairs later after school that day.

"You plan on following me all the way home, Kurosaki? Both of you?"

Ichigo and Toushirou came out of hiding.

"Don't blame me, Ishida," Toushirou counter-attacked. "It was all Ichigo's idea. He just dragged me along."

"Guess I'm not as sneaky as I thought I was. When did you notice?" Ichigo said.

"From the time you and Inoue watched me from the door."

"Huh...I'm impressed. You're something else," Ichigo said.

"You're carelessly letting your reiatsu leak out, like a fool. The younger brother, not so much. But, even a monkey would notice it."

"What?"

"I think you're lacking the ability to detect those with high reiatsu. How else can you explain the fact that you didn't notice my existence until today?"

"Sorry about that," Ichigo said, sarcasm evident in his voice. "I'm bad at remembering people's faces."

"I'm not talking about that," Uryuu said. Toushirou stepped back cautiously, getting a bad feeling about where this was going. "From the time you entered school, I knew that you had unusually high reaitsu, both of you. If you were any good, you would've sensed mine. I also know that you became a Shinigami around the middle of May. I also know Kuchiki Rukia and Hinamori Momo's true identities."

Spirit ribbons flew up from the ground near Uryuu's feet.

"Spirit ribbons!" Ichigo said.

"For a change, you're right. Spirit ribbons. They are the physical manifestation of reiatsu in the atmosphere. And..." Uryuu vanished and reappeared right in front of Ichigo's very eyes, and grabbed a spirit ribbon that was colored red.

"What is that?"

"This is your spirit ribbon. You don't know? Shinigami's spirit ribbons have different colors." He let Ichigo's ribbon go, and then out of nowhere, grabbed Toushirou's, which was a shade lighter than red.

"A Shinigami's spirit ribbon is red," Uryuu said. "But yours is dark pink. Why is that?"

Toushirou was so traumatized by this fact that he could not produce any verbal answer.

"Let's have a duel, Kurosaki Ichigo, you or me. I'll show you who is stronger. I'll show you how Shinigami aren't necessary in this world."

Toushirou wordlessly dropped to his knees.

'_I've…been a Shinigami this whole time? But where did my powers come from?'_

"Alright! Practice Round! Rock, Paper... Scissors!"

Jinta, Rock. Ururu, Scissors.

"Rock wins! This one's for real! Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

Jinta, Rock. Ururu, Paper.

"It looks like you loose," Ururu said, with a smile on her face. Behind her, Momo smiled.

"Good job, Ururu-chan. Is Urahara-san here?"

"So when does this duel take place?" Ichigo said, stepping in front of Toushirou, who wordlessly looked up.

"Right now."

Silence.

"THAT'S JUST PLAIN RIDICULOUS!"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's just a huge waste of time. I've never heard of Quincies before, and I don't know what you have against Shinigami, but it's got nothing to do with neither me nor my brother."

"He's not really your brother, though, is he?"

Ichigo paused right away.

"Not biologically, no! But he still acts like it! Isn't that enough? " Toushirou inwardly smiled.

'_At least he doesn't care,'_ he thought. _'He's never cared about the fact that we're not related by blood. I've always known that, but it sure feels good hearing him admit that out loud.'_

Uryuu continued as thought Ichigo had never spoken. "But, besides, I get it, you don't have permission. I forgot. You're a Shinigami who received your powers from Kuchiki. Without her authority, you can't even lift a finger."

"That does it."

"Quincy, you say?" Urahara asked Momo. "I haven't heard of that name in a long time."

"That does have a nostalgic ring to it, doesn't it?" Tessai asked. "It's been nearly 200 years since we heard that name."

"Well, who are they?" Momo asked.

"You mean, who were they? They were a tribe that became extinct centuries ago, but they were once a clan that specialized in destroying hollows."

"Extinct?"

"Yes...Humans who had powers like Kurosaki sensed the existence of Hollows abd began to train to fight against them. Like Shinigami, their mission was to destroy hollows. But there was one difference between them and Shinigami. And that was, whether to kill the hollows or not. The Shinigami seek to purify Hollows with their zanpaktou and allow them to cross over into the Soul Society. But Quincies sought to destroy them completely. When you think about it, it was a very human thing to do. Hollows devour human souls. They hurt and kill our friends and family. So why should they deserve the peace of the Soul Society? It was only natural that they opposed it. So they always tried to kill Hollows. They believed that they were avenging their fallen comrades. But due to that belief, they were destroyed."

"Alright, if a duel is what you want, then a duel is what you'll get," Ichigo said, unzipping his bag and then dropped it. He held Kon in his hand.

"Hey, Ichigo! It's about time! You may've been obeying Rukia's orders, but how dare you stuff me in that bag?"

"Cough it up."

"Forget what I said! You can put me back in there-!" Ichigo stuffed his hand in Kon's plushie mouth.

"Got it!" Ichigo groaned with disgust and then swallowed it, allowing him to transform.

"Kon, better get back. And take Toushirou with you. I'm about to kick his butt!" Kon ran to the side where Toushirou was. "So, how does this little duel work? Tell me the rules and let's get to it!"

~6~6~6~6~

A/N: Review, please! **And Rukia got her powers back overnight, if you didn't already guess.**


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here we go! Next chapter is up! But first, here are the Review Responses:

**skylark dragonstar:** Yes, 'tis a mystery. And it is a very interesting twist in the original story. And this is the point where everything changes.

**AMMO121:** I'm so glad you love it. Well, that is to remain a secret until later on.

**PartyPony2:** The "Ichi-armadillo" thing was in the English Dub. I just thought it would be nice to put in there. About Rukia's memory of Toushirou, well, you'll see what happened later on. (So many MYSTERIES!) But, I understand what you're saying.

**Musical Ninja:** If you keep reading, you will see. :3

**Guest:** I'm glad you like it.

I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW POPULAR THIS STORY IS!

Note: Once again, I have decided to skip a few things. This time, it is when Chad and Orihime receive their powers. I see no need to put it in this story, because those scenes are the same as in the manga/anime.

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Bleach! All of it belongs to Tite Kubo.

~7~7~7~7~

Chapter 7: The New Alliance

Toushirou ran down the path next to the river like his life depended on it, because, well, it did. Even though Yuzu and Karin weren't his blood sisters, they were like sisters to him, and he and Kon had to make sure they were okay.

So many things have happened to him ever since Rukia and Momo came to town.

First, he's constantly being attacked by hollows who all say they want something to do with him.

Second, Momo told him that he could sense hollows faster than the Soul Society could and because of the hollows, she needed to be his bodyguard.

Third, he found out that he can perform kidou, which are spells that only a Shinigami can do.

Fourth, he discovered his ability to feel the emotions of any kind of spirit.

And now, not even five minutes ago, he just found out that he was a Shinigami too.

But how was that even possible? He had never come in contact with another Shinigami before.

But it would explain his ability to perform kidou. And at an expert level, at that.

To be honest, he had sensed something different about Ishida, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Now that he knew that Ishida was a Quincy, he understood. But he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had heard the word "Quincy" before.

Not to mention, he felt a strange connection to Hinamori the moment he first laid eyes on her. Again, he couldn't figure it out.

And he knew that he wasn't Ichigo's real brother, but did Ishida have to say it like that? With such hatred, with such disgust in his voice?

For all Toushirou knew, Ichigo was like a real brother to him. And his heart swelled with happiness when Ichigo countered Ishida's question, which sounded more like an insult, with an answer right away.

Kon was running beside him, but to Toushirou, the mod soul wasn't there at all. He was too busy contemplating his life so far.

Momo had joined Urahara in the hunt for Orihime and Chad, who had awakened their personal abilities silently given to them by Ichigo. The two gifted humans now knew that Momo was a Shinigami, and Rukia too.

Now the two were standing on the bridge, watching Uryuu and Ichigo fight the Menos Grande. Momo was standing beside them, oblivious to everyone but Orihime and Chad. Momo's words kept echoing in their ears.

_"You don't have to help. We're not forcing you to. It's your choice and yours alone. Don't let anyone else make it for you."_

"Chad?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you made your choice?"

There was a pause. "Yeah. You?"

"Yes."

"I'm positive! There was a man laying down right here, and he was hurt!"

"Now, now, Karin, there's no need to make up wild stories just to get your father's attention. But I understand. You dad has been so busy with work lately, he's had almost no time for you, has he? Come on, Karin. Come into my arms and give your hunky Dad a big old hug!"

His jaw vibrated violently as Karin's punch hit him square in the mouth.

"Oww..."

"You're an idiot, Dad..."

"I think we should go home now. This place gives me the creeps."

Behind a tree, Kon and Toushirou were silently watching them.

"There. You see? Nothing's wrong. Just another happy ending," Kon said.

"You have to admit, I admire Karin's common sense."

"And her hand-eye coordination."

"That too."

"What?! You've gone and made friends with Ishida?!" It was nighttime, and the hollow frenzy was finally over. Toushirou and Ichigo were in their room, already in their PJs.

"Did you hear any other part of the story?"

"Well, my hearing kind of failed me after I heard the part of you and Ishida becoming friends."

"I think that's your problem, Toushirou. You fail to notice any other information, except the ones you don't like."

"Shut up!"

In the closet, Momo thought about what she had just witnessed.

_'His power is incredible. I always thought of what Soul Society would've thought about it. If he were a Shinigami that had graduated at the Academy, they would have been impressed. But since he isn't, they will soon find out what Rukia-san has done.'_

Needless to say, she was more worried about Rukia than other things. But her mind turned somewhere else.

_'But what about Shirou-chan? I gave Aizen-taichou the information he wanted, and he said that he would get back to me shortly. But it has been longer than _'shortly'_. I can't help but wonder why Aizen-taichou was so interested in Shirou-chan in the first place.'_

"Ok, Toushirou, Ichigo, lights out," Isshin said. "Good night, you two."

The two boys nodded.

As soon as the lights went out, Ichigo went straight to the point.

"What's wrong, Toushirou?"

It took a while for Toushirou to answer.

"How do you know something's wrong?"

"First of all, the tone of your voice is strangely soft."

"It's always soft."

"I meant, it's softer than it should be." Toushirou said nothing, so Ichigo went on. "Second, you're strangely quiet. Did Uryuu say something to you that's bugging you?"

Toushirou paused. This was bad. Ichigo could read Toushirou like an open book, even when no one else could. He didn't want to worry Ichigo, but he didn't want him involved. "No..."

"Then what is it? What's bugging you? Is this about your lost memories?"

"No. Just let me sleep, okay?" Toushirou said.

"Okay...good night..."

~7~7~7~7~

A/N: Review, please! Sorry, it's so short. Next chapter will be longer, I promise.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Here's the next chapter. This is the where this storyline _starts_ to diverge completely from the manga/anime. First, Review Responses:

**skylark dragonstar: **Well, good. That's what I'm aiming for. Cliffhangers are the best way to go.

**Espadakatsukreuz XIII:** Their relationship plays a bigger role later on in the story.

**Guest:** Thank you.

**The Endless Hourglass:** I'm glad you like it.

** 550:** Thank you.

**PartyPony2:** Hopefully, this chapter will give you more questions.

**Haylzey:** I'm glad you like it.

_Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and follows!_

Note: I know its fast, but I really wanted to get this chapter out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

~8~8~8~8~

Chapter 8: Kon's Greatest Plan of All

"ICHIGO!"

The two brothers were woken up the next morning by Kon's screaming and...crying?

"Why did you wake us up so early, Fuzzball?" Ichigo asked. "You had a nightmare or something?"

"I'll say it's a nightmare! Look at what your sister did to me! A bath was enough, but then she went and...!"

Ichigo kicked him in the face, which sent Kon flying to the wall.

"Quit complaining. Yuzu did it because you were filthy," Ichigo said.

"Besides, Kon, it looks good on you," Toushirou added.

Kon crawled back onto Ichigo's bed. "Shut up! The bath and the fu-fu outfit are bad enough, but then she took super glue and stuck this flower to my ear!"

"Let's see..."

"Cripes! She thinks I'm just a stuffed toy and...Owwee!"

Ichigo had pulled on the flower stuck to his ear.

"Yep, that sucker's really on there to stay. Well, let's see, I could surgically remove your ear."

"Why you-!"

"Hey, look at the time! We'd better hurry or we'll miss breakfast, Toushirou!"

"I'm coming. I just got up."

The two left the room, leaving Kon laying face-down on the floor.

_'Dammit...Am I not a comrade? Am I not an equal? Well, then, I'll leave on a journey. Then, I'll find people who want me.'_

Orihime skipped on to school. On her way, she spotted Momo.

"Hinamori-san! Good morning!" Momo turned to see who was calling her.

"Good morning, Inoue-san."

"Let's walk together."

"Sure."

So they did.

"But you really come early, don't you?"

"Of course. It's almost summer vacation, right? I kept thinking about it and can't sleep, like, sparkle!

"I see." Momo has a little smile on her face.

"Oh, yes! Hinamori, do you have any plans for the summer?"

"Oh...not really."

"There's a huge fireworks festival in August. Tatsuki and the others, we're all planning to go together," Orihime said. "Wanna come with us?"

"A Fireworks Festival?"

"Yeah! We should ask Kurosaki-kun and Toushirou-kun to come, too. It'll be like the time we all went to the Don Kanonji show. Now that was fun."

"That was some event, huh?" Momo said, remembering what happened.

"Yeah. But the two only went along because their family was going. Those two can be so kind. They have such a fun family. But, they should lighten a bit more. Both of them. If I didn't know better, I'd say Ichigo has a permanent frown on his face."

"I know what you mean. But, I thought you didn't care too much for either Kurosaki."

"Not really, but when you take a good look at the two of them, they both have an interesting face." Momo giggled. "Please come with us to the Fireworks Festival."

"I'll think about it."

At P.E., the girls were messing around, playing their game of Yakka (Soccer and Baseball). The boys were putting the equipment away.

"Just what are they doing?"

"Yo, Ichigo!" Keigo landed on Ichigo's back. "What'cha looking at, big guy? Oh, I gotcha. Starin' at Orihime. Oh, she is quite the boobalicious babe."

"Knock it off!" Ichigo pushed Keigo off of him.

Keigo got up immediately. "What?! Like you don't know it's totally normal for teenage boys to be obsessed with hot cuties!"

"Alright, I admit, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Huh? Oh, I get it. Orihime's not your type. Your type is the Mizuiro type."

Keigo got a ball chucked to his head. "Quit fooling around and get over here and help me out!" Mizuiro yelled.

"Oh, sorry!"

When all the equipment was put away, Keigo asked a very interesting question.

"Hey, where's Toushirou? He said yesterday that he would play with us today."

"That's true," Mizuiro said.

"He's fine. He's studying in the classroom," Ichigo said. _'There's something bothering him. But what is it? If only he would tell me...'_

"Ishida's not in school today. Didn't you notice that too?"

"Ishida! What happened to you?! Where did you get those injuries?" The teacher asked.

"Fell down the stairs."

The class fell silent.

_'Yeah, right,'_ they all seemed to be thinking.

"Well, whatever you say. Take your seat and turn to page 110."

Momo whispered to Ichigo, "Don't let it bother you. His injuries aren't your fault. Besides, it would've happened anyway."

"You've got to be kidding. I'm not worried about Uryuu."

"Funny, I never suggested you were worried. All I said was don't let it bother you."

"Why you-!"

Momo simply giggled.

"Ichigo! Ready to have lunch, big guy?"

"Sure, but can I invite someone new to join us?"

"What? A new girl? Who?"

"Hey, Uryuu. What's up? Let's eat lunch together."

"No thanks!"

"How rude!" Keigo said.

"C'mon. It's Keigo's treat."

"Well, if you insist..."

"Hey, Toushirou. Come join us."

Toushirou looked up from a book that he was pretending to read. "Sure..."

Momo was sitting in a tree. _'Shirou-chan...is in danger. I can feel it...'_

"Hey, there she is! Hey, Momo, why don't you join us for lunch?" Mahana called out.

"Sure."

"And Jinta swings! It's a home run!"

"Jinta, stop. You're supposed to be helping me sweep."

"Shut up! This is the age when men are silent and play baseball."

Ururu turned around.

"Excuse me, Mr. Urahara. Mr. Tessai. There's a cat."

"Oh! If it isn't Yoruichi! Welcome back!"

"Who is that?"

"That is Yoruichi. The feline happens to be the boss's best friend."

_'Oh, this is the most miserable lunch ever. What am I doing with these lameoids anyway? It's like eating in a graveyard,'_ Keigo thought.

"Hey, Keigo, you seem to be a little on edge today."

"Oh, it's just you, Chad. Am not. Shut up!"

"Hey there, Keigo. If you're all done, why don't you tell us a story?"

"What! No way, I'm not in the mood."

"Then, get in the mood. Pronto."

_'If you wanted happy times, you shouldn't have invited Ishida to eat with us. But I'll do my best.'_

Toushirou and Mizuiro simply listened to Ichigo and Uryuu argue.

_'Man, these two are alot alike,'_ Mizuiro thought.

"Tadah! It's a castella sandwich! It has green bean jelly filling in it that makes it so yummy!"

"Blergh! How can you eat that?" Tatsuki hated Orihime's unnatural cooking abilities.

"I think the real question is, how can she eat that and not be as big as a blimp," Michiru asked.

"I guess her boobs absorb the calories," Ryou said.

"Hey, Momo, can I ask you something? Do you have a crush on Toushirou?"

Momo spit out her chocolate milk. She wasn't expecting that. "Huh?"

"I'll take that as a 'maybe', but what is your relationship with that guy?"

Momo wipped her mouth with a napkin. "Well, he's my friend."

"Mahana, that's not a question you ask straight out like that."

"Why? You wanted to know, not me, but you wouldn't ask."

"Hey, who said I wanted to know about that anyway?"

"Well? What's the story, Momo?"

"Um...Shi-...Toushirou and I are...just friends! That's all there is to it!"

"For real?"

"Yes."

"You mean you feel nothing special for him at all?"

"I'm sure," Momo said.

"Anyway, Momo, I'll be sure to come tomorrow with some of my other yummy deserts. So let's eat it together, all right?"

"I'll think about it, Orihime."

"Aww...that's the same thing you said to me last time. You keep saying that, Momo. 'I'll think about it'. Try to have some fun once in a while," Orihime said.

"Really? I suppose you're right..."

Toushirou was listening to the sounds of his usual lunchtime group.

_'This is nice. But it won't last long. Because...I don't belong here...'_

It was time to go home. Toushirou put his books away, and then got up and left the classroom. He met Ichigo outside.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo turned around. "Oh, hey, Toushirou! I was looking for you."

"Sorry about that."

"It's nothing. What's wrong?" Ichigo's voice was gentle, something that happened very rarely.

Toushirou paused. 'How do I say it?' He hung his head. He took a deep breath. "Are you...feeling okay?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Momo walked up to them, but said nothing.

"No reason..." He paused again. "I'm sorry. All this time I haven't been thankful for what you've done for me. You saved me six years ago. And ever since then...you've tried to fill in that hole in my life. So...thank you."

"You're welcome. But...you know...you've been acting a bit strange today. Did something happen to you?"

"It's just..."

The two heard screaming in the background.

"Ichigo!" Kon grabbed Momo around her breasts. "I'm sorry I ran away. I understand now! I realize that my place is with you! I promise I'll never do it again!"

Ichigo grabbed Kon's tail. "I'm over here, you worthless piece of fuzz!"

"Ohh! The world was cruel to this one who ran away from home! Please, take me back to your room! That's where I belong and that's where I'll stay!"

Toushirou did nothing. "You want to go back, huh?"

"What's wrong?" Momo asked.

"Nothing. He's become quite attached to you, Ichigo."

"He's a pain in the butt. Hey, what happened? You're stuffing is coming out."

"I'm amazed he didn't die," Momo said.

"Me too, but I know just the guy to fix him."

"I can't help you," Uryuu said.

"Why not?"

"I don't have to give you a reason."

"Good one. Oh, I get it! You won't do it, because you can't do it. With those hands all bandaged up, Mr. Handicrafts, you're completely useless."

"How insulting! These wounds are nothing! Give me that! Now step back and watch the work of a master!" After about ten seconds, "It's finished."

"Good job!" Ichigo said.

"You think?" Momo asked.

"Is that really Kon?" Toushirou asked.

"Used to be..." Momo said.

"What the hell do we call him now?" Ichigo asked.

"A nightmare," Momo said.

For that, Kon ran away again.

Yoruichi meowed at the sky. Urahara stepped outside with some fresh milk.

"What's the matter, Yoruichi? Checking the sky for rain?"

"You can cut with the act now, Urahara. We both know what's really coming. The three of them are already here."

"You wanna talk about it before or after you've had your milk?"

"Hey, Toushirou, Momo! It's dinnertime! Huh? Where is he?" Ichigo set the tray of food down, narrowly missing the note on the edge of the table, which said _'Thank you for everything'_.

Toushirou silently closed the door and ran off into the night.

Up in the air, a guy with red hair with a pair of goggles was observing him.

"Rear conformity 113! Neural coefficient 88.5%. Is this for real? I didn't think we'd actually find him here. Momo was right after all," he took of his goggles. "Hitsugaya Toushirou...we've finally found you."

~8~8~8~8~

A/N: Review, please!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Next chapter is up! Enjoy! First, the Review Responses:

**skylark dragonstar: **Yep. Very interesting twist, huh? And you'll find out in this chapter.

**Guest:** Yep, he ran away. And Renji is my second favorite Bleach character. The first is Hitsugaya. ;)

**The Endless Hourglass:** I know you guys need more. That's why I'm writing more. Just for you.

**metsfan101:** Thank you!

**ExorcistWhite:** You'll find out later on.

**Musical Ninja:** And what exactly do you think I have in mind? :) (PM me if you want to answer.)

** 550:** Yep, they came.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All credit goes to Tite Kubo.

~9~9~9~9~

Chapter 9: The Great Encounter of Reckoning

The only sounds that were heard were the sound of Toushirou's pounding footsteps running across the sidewalk pavement.

_'No regrets...'_ Toushirou thought. _'I have no regrets. Karin and Yuzu are fine. So is Oto-san...But Ichigo...he won't be. He'll never be fine until he finds me...'_

***Flashback 1***

_Little Toushirou fell asleep on the couch that night and had woken up in a room he had never seen before._

_An older boy with orange hair came over to him._

_"Hey, how are you feeling?"_

_"Just fine...who...who are you?"_

_"Kurosaki Ichigo, and you're Toushirou..."_

_"Yeah...nice to meet you."_

_"Nice to meet you too. This is my room you're in. Like it?"_

_"I guess..."_

_Toushirou looked back to Ichigo, who merely smiled._

_Toushirou eventually smiled back. It was small, but it was real._

***Flashback 2***

_The next morning, Ichigo put his shirt as he told Toushirou, "You know...if anything's bothering you, you can talk to me...You can tell me anything. You know that."_

_"I know, Ichigo, but trust me, nothing is bothering me," Toushirou said, and left it at that._

_Ichigo wasn't buying it. But he let it slide._

***Flashback 3***

_"I'll do it," Ichigo spoke up._

_"Ichigo," Toushirou muttered._

_"Don't worry, Toushirou...I'll be just fine. Now, give me that blade, Shinigami."_

***Flashback 4***

_Isshin got up and walked past Ichigo, saying, "Go ahead, Ichigo."_

_Ichigo swung Toushirou's arms over his shoulders and hoisted him up piggy-back style. Toushirou hissed in pain at the new position of his shoulder. Ichigo muttered a quick apology._

***Flashback 5***

_Toushirou let the tears flow. He buried his head into Ichigo's shirt and sobbed._

_"Don't worry, Toushirou...Just let me handle everything..." Ichigo whispered._

***Flashback 6***

_"He's not really your brother, though, is he?"_

_Ichigo paused right away._

_"Not biologically, no! But he still acts like it! Isn't that enough?! " Toushirou inwardly smiled._

***Flashback 7***

_Toushirou paused. _'How do I say it?' _He hung his head. He took a deep breath. "Are you...feeling okay?"_

_"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Momo walked up to them, but said nothing._

_"No reason..." He paused again. "I'm sorry. All this time I haven't been thankful for what you've done for me. You saved me six years ago. And ever since then...you've tried to fill in that hole in my life. So...thank you."_

_"You're welcome."_

***End Flashbacks***

_'I'm sorry this is how it has to be, Ichigo...what I said after school today...I really meant it...no one could ever replace you...'_

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but...Ichigo, I love you...as one would love his older brother..."

Toushirou felt a tear roll down his cheek, but he ignored it. There was no one nearby to see his tears.

_'And Hinamori...no one could replace you either…'_

***Flashback 1***

_As Ichigo sliced the hollow across its mask as hard as he could, and it disappeared for good, Toushirou turned toward the bunned girl. "Kurosaki Toushirou..."_

_The bunned girl gently smiled before stating her name. "Hinamori Momo..."_

***Flashback 2***

_"And I'm Hinamori Momo, her cousin. And I'll be sitting next to you, uh, Toushirou, right?" Momo said._

_Ichigo freaked out, while Toushirou simply said, "Y-Yeah..."_

***Flashback 3***

_"I think he knows that," Toushirou said, putting down his book and taking Momo's juice box out of her hand. He took her straw and poked the hole with it and gave it back to her. "There."_

_"Thank you, Shirou-chan..."_

_Toushirou paused. He slowly turned to face her, but said nothing. _'What did she just call me?'_ Instead, he said, "No problem."_

***End Flashback***

_'My life was great here. No doubt about that...a family that I could finally call my own...friends whom I could confide in...friends who didn't mind if I released my anger on them...friends and family I could lean my shoulder against and spill out my deepest, darkest secrets to...'_

"I'll miss you all...but...I don't belong here...I'm sorry..."

"So..." Toushirou abruptly stopped. Why didn't he sense it until now? "Finally realized it, huh? Finally realized, you're not a normal human? In fact, that you're not a human at all?"

A red-haired man in Shinigami robes jumped down and swung his sword at Toushirou, narrowly missing him, not to mention, scaring him half to death.

"Who are you?" Toushirou muttered.

"I understand that apparently you have amnesia," the red-haired man went on. "So it's no surprise that you don't remember me. Interesting, though..."

A blond haired man jumped down and landed beside the other.

"I know you two...but I can't place my finger on it."

"Hmm. Nostalgia, huh?" the red haired man went on. "That's what making you remember things, but at the same time, not remember things. Very interesting. Momo didn't tell us about that. She just said that you had amnesia."

"Hinamori...you know her?" Toushirou asked.

"Of course, she's one of our best friends," the red haired man went on. "And she's one of yours too."

"What are you talking about?" Toushirou narrowed his eyes. "I only met her in mid-May."

"No, you've known her longer than that," the blonde haired man said.

Toushirou merely stared at the two Shinigami. "I won't ask again. Who are you?"

"Abarai Renji, Lieutenant of the Sixth Division," the red haired man said.

"Kira Izuru, Lieutenant of the Third Division," the blonde man said.

"And you are Hitsugaya Toushirou, former Captain of the Tenth Division..."

Toushirou's world went absolutely still. It was so quiet, he swore that he could hear a pen drop somewhere in the distance.

Ichigo stood over the toilet as it flushed. "Geez...it's nearly midnight and Toushirou still hasn't come home."

He heard a mumbling. He looked everywhere around the bathroom. When he looked behind the toilet, he found Kon all tied up unable to speak because of the tape.

"Kon? What the hell are you doing here?"

"MMMM MMMM MMMMM!"

"It had not been even a full four months after you were promoted to Captain when you and the Thirteenth Division Lieutenant were called to Central 46 and you never came out." It appeared that Renji was enjoying this. Apparently, he enjoyed making Toushirou uncomfortable.

"But your friend did and he was promoted to Captain in your place. Six years later, we got a call from Momo, who was on a long-term mission in the World of the Living, saying that she has found someone who looked just like you. But the thing was, it was you," Izuru was not making this any easier for Toushirou at all.

"Abarai, Kira, go easy on the boy," a mysterious voice sounded out from the darkness. The figure stepped into the street light, revealing...

"Oh, forgive us, Kuchiki-taichou..." Renji said before turning back to Toushirou. "Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the Sixth Division...he was also a friend of yours..."

Toushirou said nothing.

"Hitsugaya-taichou...we meet again..."

Toushirou tensed up.

Ichigo had freed Kon, but now Kon was giving off an awful smell.

"Thank you, Ichigo, for setting me free!"

Ichigo sprayed somemore disinfectant on Kon.

"What was that for? You would honestly do that to a friend after he's been through one of the worst experiences of his life."

"We're not friends! And you stink, pal!" Ichigo said, holding his nose. "I'm only worried about Toushirou."

"Oh! Toushirou! That's right! Look at this note here! I was about to start my journey when I decided to say goodbye to you first. When I opened the window, I saw Toushirou at the desk, writing something. I asked him what he was doing, but then he tied me to the back of the tiolet and told me not to tell any one else."

"So, shouldn't you be long gone by now?"

It was Kon's turn to punch Ichigo in the face. "No! I didn't write the letter. Toushirou did."

"What?" Ichigo opened the letter and read:

_'Dear, Ichigo,_

_I'm sorry, but there are reasons I must go. Please, don't go looking for me. I'll be in a place where you probably won't find me. I don't belong in this world and that's why I am leaving. Goodbye and thank you for everything,_

_Toushirou'_

Ichigo sat down in his chair, speechless.

"He...left? I don't believe it." But, then something hit him.

_"I'm sorry. All this time I haven't been thankful for what you've done for me. You saved me six years ago. And ever since then...you've tried to fill in that hole in my life. So...thank you."_

"That...was his way...of saying goodbye...?!" Ichigo asked himself. "Why didn't I realize that until now?!" He snapped his head toward Kon. "Cough it up! NOW!"

"Huh?" Kon figured it out. "NO!"

Ichigo chased Kon all around the room, until a voice from the window caught their attention.

"Well, it seems that you're in a pretty big bind this evening," Urahara said. "Mind if I help speed it along?"

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A familiar echoed through Toushirou's head.

He turned around to see Ishida Uryuu, carrying a grocery bag. "You...What are you doing here?"

Uryuu answered. "I was passing by after going to the crafts' store. I mean, come on, it wasn't like I sensed Shinigami here in the neighborhood and rushed over here with a bag full of thread to use an excuse to use when I finally caught up with you."

_'He's a bad liar,'_ Toushirou thought.

"Who the hell are you, kid?"

"Just a classmate of Toushirou's."

Renji sliced Uryuu bag, leaving only the handle in Uryuu's hand.

"I said, who the hell are you, kid?"

"Now you've just pissed me off. I'm Ishida Uryuu, a Quincy and a classmate of Toushirou's." Uryuu turned to Toushirou. "It's seems that I was correct about being a Shinigami after all. I thought I was just imagining things. I mean, why else would Shinigami be after you?"

Toushirou said nothing. 'I guess Ichigo was right about them being friends after all. Why else would he have come?'

"A Quincy, huh?" Renji asked.

"Yes, a Quincy, and I really hate Shinigami."

Ichigo ran. He jumped from tree to telephone pole and went on. If only Momo was with him. She could sense Toushirou's reiatsu faster than he could.

_'I've never been more afraid in my entire life...Not scared for me...scared for Toushirou...'_

Uryuu was down, blood pouring from various all over his body.

"Ishida!" Toushirou yelled. If they could do that Uryuu, a Quincy, then they could do worse to Ichigo, a newly born Shinigami.

"Now, kid, where were we?" Renji said.

"Don't call me that, Pineapple," Toushirou muttered, finally getting the courage to stand up to these three Shinigami.

It seems that it worked, because Renji was speechless.

"That's right. Don't call me that! And get away from Ishida! Now! Don't ever hurt my friends again!"

Uryuu looked up at Toushirou.

"Look, kid," Izuru started.

"NOO!" Toushirou smacked his hand away and ran towards to Ishida.

"So...you finally...called me friend..." Uryuu struggled to get a small smile out. Tears swam through Toushirou's eyes.

Both of them were brought to the attention of Izuru, who said, "I knew you're defensive abilities were amazing, but damn, kid...you didn't have to nearly cut my hand off..."

Izuru was right. His hand had a huge nasty cut on it.

"Why you-!" Renji finally found his courage and voice. "You'll pay for that." Renji charged at Toushirou.

"No, stop it, Renji!" Izuru said. But, there was no stopping him.

Until someone grabbed his wrist...

"I don't think so. To get him, you go through me," the man who stopped Renji said.

"I-Ichigo!"

The carrot top, with his sword out, leaped and gracefully landed in front of Toushirou.

"You okay?"

"Dammit! I told you not to follow me!" Toushirou yelled, tears threatening to flow freely.

"You are you, kid?!" Renji demanded.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, substitute Shinigami, and older brother of Toushirou...and I'm here to kick your ass...No one hurts Toushirou and lives to tell about it..."

"Shinigami, huh?"

"Don't underestimate him, you two," Byakuya said from the shadows. "I heard that it he who defeated the Menos Grande two days ago."

"Yeah, right...this guy?! I bet you don't even know your zanpaktou's name..."

"What? Name?"

"Yeah. Every zanpaktou has a name... Mine is "**Hoero**, Zabimaru!""

Ichigo felt a sudden pain in his shoulder. Renji's transformed zanpaktou had sliced him right in the shoulder.

"Ichigo!" Toushirou cried out.

"Now die!"

"Stop it!" Another person had interfered.

"Now what?!" Renji asked.

"Stop it right now!" The girl jumped down and landed in front of Ichigo.

"No way...Hinamori...what are you doing here?" Izuru asked.

"I'm here to save Shirou-chan!"

~9~9~9~9~

A/N: Oh, noes. What now?!

Hoero: Means "Howl", Renji's shikai phrase, changed to "Roar" in the English Dub.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Here it is! One of you requested an epic battle scene, and I did my best to fulfill that request. First things first, Review Responses:

**skylark dragonstar:** Oh yeah, it's a huge mess for Ichigo to get into, especially his reaction to Toushirou calling him an idiot for going after him. That part made me cry when I wrote it.

**marsreikosan16:** Thanks for the support, Sister Dear. :)

**PartyPony2:** Yeah, I was wondering why you didn't review last time, but I had to get Chapter 9 up, so I couldn't wait for you, but now I know. And yes, to clear your head, Toushirou can use kidou at will. He doesn't have a zanpaktou (yet), which leaves all the sword fighting to Ichigo, because Ichigo doesn't know how to use kidou. And you will find out everything else later on in the story, if not this chapter.

** 550:** I'm glad you like it.

**Black Cat Angel:** Thank you. It really helped.

**ExorcistWhite: **You'll see later on.

**Shiro Neko:** I'm really glad you like it.

_Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts! It makes me so happy! ^^_

Disclaimer: All credit for Bleach goes to Tite Kubo, not me, sadly. *tear*

~10~10~10~10~

Chapter 10: Brotherly Struggle and Toushirou's Decision

"H-Hinamori..." Toushirou looked up at the Shinigami in front of Ichigo. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping you get back home. It's dangerous here with Shinigami on the loose and after you for some reason that's unknown to me. I'm here to save you from whatever they want with you. Izuru-kun! Renji-kun! Lay off of him! Leave him alone!" Momo turned to the two Lieutenants.

"Can't," Renji said. "We have a strict order to apprehend this kid straight from the Soutaichou himself."

Momo's eyes widened a fracture. "The Soutaichou...?!"

Renji merely smirked. Izuru only nodded. Toushirou decided that Izuru was the nicest one in this trio of Shinigami.

"You okay, Toushirou-kun?" Momo directed this question at him. "They didn't hurt you too bad yet, did they?"

Toushirou shook his head. His eyes wandered to an unconscious Uryuu on the ground next to him.

_"So...you finally...called me friend..."_

Uryuu's words kept ringing in his head. Toushirou was somewhat of a jerk to him, when all this time, all Uryuu wanted was for Toushirou to be a friend, just like Ichigo was.

Ichigo...

His mind wandered to Ichigo. Toushirou had called him an idiot, just for disobeying a request not to come after him. Tears welled up in his eyes.

But deep down in his heart, Toushirou knew that he was glad that Ichigo had come. Had he not run into these Shinigami, he would have not been so glad. He was glad that Ichigo arrived when he did, or Abarai would have succeeded in possibly killing him.

Toushirou thought. Tears were threatening to fall now. The more he thought about Ichigo, the more tears he had to fight to keep back.

_'Don't say thank you. Don't say thank you. Don't say thank you! Dammit!'_

Ichigo's voice prevented his thought train and his emotion train from colliding. This he was grateful for.

"Oi, Toushirou, you okay?"

It somehow took him a while to answer.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine...just a little spooked, that's all."

"You cold?"

"No...just spooked, that's all..."

Ichigo said nothing. His expression said it all.

Ichigo was worried about him.

Toushirou looked straight into his eyes and said nothing.

Ichigo read his eyes: Toushirou was grateful that he had come.

For a while, neither of them said a word. Toushirou's turquoise eyes traveled down to Ichigo's shoulder, then back up at Ichigo, this time with a different expression.

Toushirou was asking if his shoulder hurt.

Ichigo merely looked off to the side, but then looked back at Toushirou, smiling, his eyes saying, 'I'm okay'.

Toushirou didn't buy it, though, and activated a healing kidou against Ichigo's shoulder.

It was Renji who broke the silence. "Kidou, huh?"

Toushirou looked at him, as if to say _'I dare you to come closer'_, his eyes blazing with anger, anger for Abarai for hurting his brother.

Renji stepped forward, ready to accept Toushirou's challenge. Izuru tried to hold him back, but no avail.

Each step, he got closer. He was only a couple steps away when Momo blocked his path.

"Momo! Get out of the way!"

"No! You're not taking him! I'll fight you! I'll kill you if I have to!" Momo protested.

"Idiot! Hoero, Zabimaru!"

Momo easily dodged it. She landed behind Renji and prepared to strike.

"No, Momo, don't! You'll be accused of treason!" Izuru shouted at her. Too late. She was going to strike.

Izuru blocked her attack. His eyes blazing with anger now too.

"Izuru...out of the way...he tried to kill Toushirou-kun..."

"And you tried to kill Renji...For that, I will not forgive."

Momo's face quickly contorted with anger. "**Hajike**, Tobiume!"

Izuru was knocked down and away a few feet with a fireball from Momo's Tobiume.

"Stay there, Kira!" Momo's eyes blazed. "Or I'll kill you too!"

Izuru refused to take another step further. He only wordlessly watched the fight between Zabimaru and Tobiume.

Momo was the one attacking. Renji was dodging. One slice from Tobiume made his goggles snap off in two. Again, she made to strike him. This time, the fatal blow.

She kept gaining speed, faster and faster, until Renji was no longer keeping track of where Momo was. It was her chance.

She suddenly stopped. Renji looked on bewildered.

Standing behind Momo was Kuchiki Byakuya. On Momo's torso was a terrible wound that caused to look down and then fall to the ground, out cold and bleeding freely, just like Uryuu.

"Taichou...you didn't have to. I had it handled..."

"I'm sure you did, Abarai...Kira, you may move now..." Izuru came out of his hiding place, looked horridly at Momo. "We will take her as prisoner. Kira, close her wound."

"Yes, Sir," Izuru said as he sheathed his sword and also sheathed Momo's. He healed her wound to make it close up.

Renji turned to Ichigo and Toushirou, the only two remaining who weren't out cold or injured too badly.

"Now then, Substitute...hand him over."

Ichigo didn't have to think about an answer. He already had one. "Over my dead body."

His answer was firm. He meant it. They would have to kill him if they wanted Toushirou.

"You asked for it, kid...you want me to kill you? I'll kill you."

"Don't!" Toushirou's voice was filled with authority and his eyes pleading.

Ichigo was caught off guard by this. "T-Toushirou...?" Then Ichigo got a sudden pain in his chest.

He looked down. His blade had been near the hilt, leaving nothing but a stump. And his chest was now bleeding freely.

Ichigo fell to the ground, seemingly out cold. "His booster has been destroyed. He is a Shinigami no more."

Toushirou said nothing.

"Let us go. We are leaving. Kira, Abarai."

"Yes, Sir," they both said simultaneously. Kira threw Momo over his shoulder.

Abarai used his zanpaktou and opened the Senkai Gate, the same one Rukia had gone through days before.

Not three, but five Hell Butterflies flew out, one for each person.

Before Byakuya could take even half a step, a hand reached out and grabbed his leg.

"O-oi...I'm not dead yet..." Ichigo never gave up. By some miracle, he was still alive. This surprised Toushirou greatly. He never knew Ichigo had this big of a life force.

"Release me, human..." Byakuya said quietly.

"Not without an explanation first. Why do you want Toushirou?"

Byakuya said nothing. Renji said it for him. "It's none of your damn business, kid!"

"I'm not letting you go that easy..."

Ichigo's hand gripped Byakuya's ankle tighter. A foot then stepped on Ichigo's wrist.

All eyes turned to Toushirou, eyes blazing with anger, trying to hold back the tears.

"You're just a lowly human. How dare you grab a Shinigami Captain like that?!"

"T-Toushirou..."

"You're going to die anyways. So why not stay put and live just a few seconds longer?" Toushirou took his foot off of Ichigo's wrist, which had unintentionally released Byakuya's ankle.

They all entered the Gate, Toushirou being the last one. Before the Gate closed, Toushirou looked back and whispered to him, "I'm sorry..."

Ichigo felt a tear fall. He looked up and saw raindrops fall from the sky. "N-no...it can't be..."

Just before Ichigo passed out, he saw Urahara standing over him, with an umbrella in hand and a black cat perched on his shoulder.

Ichigo had felt cold before, but now he felt warm. He opened his eyes.

There was Tessai, right up in his face. Maybe a little too close.

Ichigo screamed.

"Oh, good reaction! Hey, Boss, you told me to tell you when Ichigo woke up! Well, he's awake!"

"What the hell are you doing under the covers with me?!" Ichigo threw him off of him and off to the side.

"Hello, Ichigo..." Urahara said.

"Hat-And-Clogs...is this your house?"

"Yep. I treated Uryuu, but he didn't stay. He was worried about you though and your wounds were worse than his were. He was also really worried about Toushirou..."

"Who the hell is Toushirou really?"

"Before he became a Kurosaki? His real name is Hitsugaya Toushirou. He was formerly the Captain of the Tenth Division. In other words, he was a Shinigami, and a prodigy at that."

"You met him before?" Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Once or twice. He was here to inform of some items that the Soul Society needed for some odd reason. I forget what those reasons were though."

"Well, he's joined them..."

"Did it ever occur to you that he told you what he told you in his last line to you in order to protect you?"

"How do you know what he was trying to do?!" Ichigo half snapped at Urahara.

"Because I knew him in his previous life and I got to know him in this life, most specifically while you were fighting with Don Kanonji. Just by observance of you two during that time, I could tell he really cared about you. He loves you, Ichigo, as a brother would. A lot. He would never betray you."

"How do you know this?"

"Not just because I kept observing him, but he also told me some things about himself. About how he had amnesia. About how he felt so close to you. And about how much he really cared for you."

***Flashback***

_Urahara, Tessai, and Toushirou were watching Ichigo, Rukia, who had just gotten her powers back, and Momo fight alongside Don Kanonji against the Demi-Hollow._

_"You okay?" Urahara asked Toushirou._

_Toushirou looked at him and then looked back at the fight. "I'm just worried."_

_"Worried? About Ichigo? Don't worry. He's fought worse hollows before. This is a small fry for him."_

_"Well, I can't help but worry about him. He's my brother for God's sake!" Toushirou retorted. "Besides...he can't die...I've never felt so close to anyone in my entire life."_

_Urahara merely looked at him. It was small, but then he smiled._

***End Flashback***

"He said that...about me?" Ichigo felt a light blush crawl onto his face.

"He sure did. Now..." Urahara pointed his cane toward Ichigo's face. "Are you going to give up and let that connection between the two of you just go to waste? Or are you going to act upon it and go after him and save him?"

Ichigo's brown eyes suddenly filled with determination. He smiled. "No! I won't! He may not be showing it, but he wants me to come! I just know it!"

Urahara smiled. Again, it was small, but it was real.

_'That's the bond of true brothers there for you...'_ he thought.

~10~10~10~10~

A/N: There we go! With new determination, Ichigo prepares to enter Soul Society to save Toushirou.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Hey, y'all! Next chapter is up! "So quick!" I know, I know. Save your applause until after the chapter is finished. First, Review Responses:

**ExorcistWhite:** Thanks. Well, here it is!

**skylark dragonstar:** It's amazing when a hunch is right, huh?

** 550:** Thanks for the compliment.

**PartyPony2:** I don't know either, but I think being cut by Tobiume would hurt twice as bad. And no, Momo will not need to be rescued too. Just Toushirou.

**Shiro Neko:** I'm really glad you like this story.

**Espadakatsukreuz XIII:** Yeah, one of my favorite **non-**romantic pairings is the friendship between Ichigo and Toushirou. I think it's really sweet.

**The Endless Hourglass:** Don't worry. I will change it up. This is probably the last chapter with a lot of anime/manga references to it. But I understand. And that's what I was afraid of. I'm trying to make it a lot different.

**Musical Ninja:** I love their brother bond too. It makes me happy and sad all at the same time. ^^

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

~11~11~11~11~

Chapter 11: The Oath Between Friends

When Ichigo went to school on the last day before Summer Break, no one had went up to Ichigo and asked where Toushirou was, which caught Ichigo completely off guard. He had guessed that Urahara was right, that Toushirou really didn't belong in this world and that he was nothing more than a memory, like he was Ichigo's imaginary friend.

After class and school were out for the entire summer, Keigo had put a blindfold around Ichigo and made him shop a watermelon, but Ichigo got Keigo's head, who then invited everyone to the beach with him. Unfortunately, everyone said they already had plans, and Ichigo said the same thing.

As he walked back home, he reflected on the night Toushirou left and his family's reaction when Ichigo told them that Toushirou had run away. Yuzu had cried like a baby, saying "Shirou-chan" over and over. She refused to eat anything that night. Karin was unusually quiet, which reminded Ichigo of Toushirou, who was unusually silent whenever he was upset, just like Karin was at that moment. His father, instead of making jokes and always taking hits at Ichigo, merely comforted his two daughters and after dinner, comforted Ichigo like a father was always meant to.

On the way, he ran into Orihime, who asked where Toushirou and Momo were. That caught him off guard too. After telling her what was really going on, she gave him the same pep talk that Urahara had given him, only Orihime-style. With new determination, he ran to Urahara Shouten instead of his house, where Urahara had helped him reclaim his Shinigami powers, in very weird ways.

After he had succeeded, Urahara trained him for a week and then trained him for another three days secretly.

Little to his knowledge, Orihime, Chad, and uryuu were also training in their own ways, Uryuu by himself, and Orihime and Chad with Yoruichi the cat. And all three had discovered that the cat could talk. Orihime had gotten used to it, but Uryuu and Chad were still having problems accepting it.

**August 14 6:30 PM**

"Hey, Dad?" The Kurosaki's were getting ready for the Fireworks Festival.

"Yeah, Son?"

"I'm going on a trip, for two weeks. It may be longer than that. I don't know that for sure, but I'll be gone for at least a week or two," Ichigo said. "I'm leaving tonight at around 1:00 AM."

"Alright."

Ichigo stopped. "What do you mean 'alright'?!"

"I mean 'alright', that is, if finding Toushirou is what this trip is for..."

Ichigo paused. "...Yeah...it is..."

"Well, then...good luck. And here, take this."

Isshin handed Ichigo a Protection Charm.

"What's this?"

"It's a charm. I got it from your mother." Ichigo looked up at his father and smiled.

"Thanks."

"And when you find Toushirou, give him this one. It's also from your mother." It was a charm bracelet. "She meant to give it to him for his birthday the same year she died, but she never got the chance. And I meant to give it to him on your last day of school, but again, there was never the chance to. There's a charm on it already. See?"

"Yeah...it's a dragon."

"Yep."

"Why a dragon?"

"Because a dragon seems to represent Toushirou the most..."

"I...never really thought about it, but yeah. That works. Don't worry, Dad. When I find him, I'll definitely give it to him."

"You didn't say 'if', Son."

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"Why?"

"Because there's no doubt about it, Dad. I will find Toushirou. I'll do it for you and Yuzu and Karin, for all of us, if not just for me."

Isshin gently smiled. "Well, then, Son, I give you my prayers. You and Toushirou both..."

Ichigo smiled too. "Thanks, Dad."

August 15 1:00AM

Ichigo opened his window, on Urahara's orders.

_'At 1:00 AM on Monday, be ready with your window open.'_

"I have a bad feeling about this," Ichigo muttered. He turned to look out his window. "At least there's a nice breeze tonight."

Ichigo suddenly felt something shoot past his head. He turned around, surprised at what had hit his closet door.

_'Urgent! Meet me outside the Urahara Shouten in ten minutes!'_

"Holy crap! Who the hell contacts people like that?! This is like a crime scene where it's written in the victim's own blood! And it better not stain my wall!" Ichigo stopped his rant. "What now? A PS?"

_'P.S. If you think is like some 'Written-in-the-victim's-own-blood' cliche from some tv show, you obviously have no sense of humor.'_

"OH, SHUT UP!" Ichigo threw his pillow at his closet door. He could almost hear Urahara say that as if he were perched on his open windowsill.

Outside the shop, he saw Urahara in the doorway and sitting on a box near the door was...Chad?

"Chad? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked him.

"Toushirou saved my life once. I want to return to favor," Chad said.

Ichigo looked wordlessly at him. Chad wanted to save Toushirou too...

"Are you seriously that deaf, Kurosaki?" Ichigo turned to see Uryuu, in his Quincy outfit. "Oh course he wants to save Toushirou. And I'm here because I don't take defeat very well, especially by the hands of a Shinigami. And besides, I also owe Toushirou a couple of favors."

"Well, I guess we're all here and accounted for," Orihime said on the other side of him.

"Inoue?!"

"Yes, I got the message too."

Ichigo paused and then: "What the hell is going on here?!"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice strong spiritual powers in these three friends of yours?" Ichigo turned to see a black cat. "While you were training to regain her Shinigami powers, these three were also training in their own way. Instead of questioning them, you should be thanking them."

"A...A FREAKIN' CAT JUST SPOKE TO ME!" Ichigo freaked out.

"He's not just a cat. His name is Yoruichi."

"It is pretty hard to get used to."

"I'm still adjusting to it myself."

Urahara clapped his hands. "I suggest you take this little party inside. There are things that we can't discuss out here in the open."

Everyone was going inside.

"Inoue..."

Orihime turned around. "Yes, Kurosaki-kun?"

"What is your reason for being here?"

"I want to save Toushirou because...I know Momo-chan would have wanted us to if she couldn't..." Orihime then went inside to shop.

Ichigo paused. There was truth in Orihime's words.

He had seen Momo arrive at the scene that night with fire blazing in her eyes. She even fought that Renji guy because he was hurting Toushirou. She would have wanted Ichigo to come along and join her rebellion.

That settled it then. He would let them come along. Because that's what Momo would have wanted...

Renji walked down the hallway of the Sixth Division. he passed by a few officers, who bowed and told him _'Good Morning, Lieutenant Abarai'_, but he just said _'At ease'_.

He turned to key to the Sixth Division Prison door. He entered and walked down to a cell.

"Are you still sulking, Hitsugaya?"

"I am not sulking and nor am I a Hitsugaya. For the thousandth time, my name is Kurosaki! _Ku-ro-sa-ki_. Get it right, for God's sake!" Toushirou retorted.

"It's not my fault that you were adopted by that carrot top. He found you, not me. But...I'm not trying to be your enemy, kid. I'm trying to be your friend again."

"You...were my friend?"

"Not a best friend, but a friend. You only met me through Momo."

"Hinamori...how is she?"

"She'll be fine. She's in a highly guarded ward in the Fourth Division. She hasn't woken up yet, but according to Unohana-taichou, she should wake up around noon today."

"Why the tight security?" Toushirou asked, curious.

"Rebellion. Treason. Call it whatever you want. But all in all, she turned her blade on us. We had strict orders to come and get you by the Soutaichou, but had interfered, so we had to lock her up for a while because of it."

"When will she be released?"

"In about four to five days or so. Why?"

"Just wondering. Oh...how's Kuchiki?"

"Taichou?"

"No...Kuchiki Rukia."

"Oh...she's on house arrest for a month."

"What for?"

"She stayed to long in the World of the Living. She won't tell us why."

"I'm glad. And...the Soutaichou...he's the one in charge?"

"In a nutshell, pretty much..."

Toushirou narrowed his eyes sadly. "Tell me something else, Abarai. Not as an authority figure, but as a friend."

"Sure..."

"Am I going to die?"

Renji paused. As a friend, not as authority...

"I'm sorry, kid...I don't know that for sure..."

"Then why am I here?"

Renji paused again. Why had the Soutaichou given them the order to retrieve this kid from the World of the Living?

"I don't know that either, kid. I'm sorry...I was just following orders..."

Before entering the Gate, Ichigo turned to his friends.

"Let's make an oath, you guys, to not come back home until we have Toushirou."

Orihime nodded. So did Chad.

Uryuu smirked and said, "Works for me."

"Alright! Never give up!" Orihime said.

Chad nodded.

"Alright. Let's go. I have a brother to save."

~11~11~11~11~

A/N: This is where my storyline starts to completely take over the original storyline. You're all in for a treat next chapter.

Poor Ichigo…finding out that cats can talk is a pretty big thing to get used to…

The type of charm bracelet I'm talking about is the one with the metal square charms that you can get at the mall and keep adding on. Anyone have one of those?

And I chose the dragon charm because it's the form of Hyourinmaru and his shikai.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Here is it! Review Responses:

PartyPony2: You'll see in this chapter. And I guess I'm not that good at hiding things.

marsreikosan16: Like I said. Thanks for your support, Sister Dear.

skylark dragonstar: You're welcome. The reason I updated the Substitute Arc so fast was because I had the entire arc on DVD, or my sister did. I just borrowed them.

Shiro Neko: I'm really glad you like it. And I do too. And yes, Isshin does know Toushirou's real identity. For reference, check Chapter One.

550: Thank you. Here is the next update.

Musical Ninja: Thank you for the compliments. ^^

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

~12~12~12~12~

Chapter 12: The Worst Sentence of All

Renji walked back to the prison the next morning.

"Hey, Kurosaki, still being insubordinate?" Renji asked Toushirou.

"I'm not being insubordinate," Toushirou countered.

"Well, if you're not being insubordinate, then why do you refuse to eat?"

"Maybe, I'm just not hungry. Does that bother you, Mr. Lieutenant?"

Renji got irked at that. "Whatever, kid...listen, I just came to tell you something."

"Tell me what?" Toushirou looked back at Renji.

_'First reaction I've seen in him ever since he got here...'_ Renji mentally noted. "I've come to tell you, the Captains have started your hearing..."

"'Hearing'?! What the hell did I do?!" Toushirou burst out with anger.

"I don't know, kid! I was just following orders, and my orders were to bring your here. I don't know why our superiors make the orders they do. It's just our job to follow them, not to know the reason behind them!" Renji retorted.

"Geez, I'm sorry I asked," Toushirou said sarcastically.

"Hey! It's not my fault that you're in here! You probably did something when you were here last time. Or maybe Central 46 has a reason that's unknown to even the Captains. We don't know. None of us do!"

"Seeing as you're the Lieutenant of this Division, I had thought that you had the answers I seek."

"I'm sorry, kid. I wish I did have them all, but I don't," Renji softly said. "Sorry I yelled."

"You have no right to apologize to me. I'm the prisoner here, not you," Toushirou softly countered. "I'm the one who should be apologizing."

Renji said nothing.

"So...a hearing, you say?"

Renji nodded. "Yeah. Together the Captains will come up with a solution to whatever problem with you they're dealing with. You had a lot of friends in the Captain ranks. I'm sure at least one, if not all, of them are pleading for your favor. I would."

"Really?"

"Yeah. To be honest, kid, just speaking as a person, I don't see any fault in you. Absolutely nothing. There's nothing in the law that says that you must kill a reborn Shinigami, just because they survived."

There a small silence.

"Thank you, Abarai."

"Huh?"

"It's nice to know that someone is on my side."

Renji did not smile, nor did he say _'You're Welcome'_. Instead, he merely sadly gazed at the prisoner in front of him, feeling sorry for him that he was the one who had to go through this.

Ichigo, Chad, Uryuu, and Orihime had all stepped out onto the streets of Rukongai, panting heavily. Yoruichi, the cat, merely stepped forward.

"Man...what a rush..." Ichigo said between breaths.

"That was close. That cleaner could've killed us for sure," Chad said.

"Yeah...you took too long though, Kurosaki," Uryuu said.

"What?! You're the one who had that ugly cape!" Ichigo counter-attacked.

"Both of you calm down," Yoruichi said. "Let's go and find the Shiba House like Kisuke told us to do."

"Right."

Renji came back in after lunch to bring Toushirou some food also.

"Hey, kid. I got you some food. You hungry?"

"No."

"See? You're being insubordinate!"

"Am not! I'm just not hungry! I'm too nervous..."

Renji paused. _'Oh. So, that's why he refuses to eat.'_

"I see now. Forgive me for calling you insubordinate."

"It's alright..."

Neither said anything for a long time.

Komamura Sajin, Seventh Division Captain, stomped on the ground and rose his voice to a booming level: "He is guilty of all charges!"

"And what charges do you see against him? For I see none!" Ukitake Juushirou, Thirteenth Division Captain, argued.

"He is guilty of the same charges that he was executed for long ago!" Yamamoto, Soutaichou, bellowed.

"What?!" Kusaka Soujirou, New Tenth Division Captain, retorted. "You're executing him just for surviving his previous execution?! He survived his first execution, and so you're executing him again?!"

"I see the logic behind Kusaka's reasons," Kurotsuchi calmly said. "If you were to kill this boy again, he would come back. Again, but this time as a Shinigami."

"This isn't about logic, Kurotsuchi!" Kusaka retorted once again. "I just think it's unfair to have him go through this a second time."

"I agree on that!" Ukitake said.

"I agree on that as well," Aizen Sosuke said calmly. "I too believe it is unfair for the boy to be executed again."

"Oh, come on, Aizen," Ichimaru said. "The boy has amnesia, remember? He won't remember what he was executed for the first time."

"That is the problem," Kuchiki Byakuya spoke up. "He may have amnesia, but he is starting to remember things that he has made contact with in his previous life. Once he sees or feels it, he will remember. I beleive he is remembering things through nostalgia."

The room was silent for a minute.

"I see. Thank you, Kuchiki, for bringing up that piece of information. It may be small, but it holds great value to us. And to him," Yamamoto said. "Nevertheless, I shall end this. And I shall end this now. Those in favor of execution, raise your hands."

There was a significant amount of hands.

"Those against execution?"

There was also a significant amount of hands as well. But there was one problem.

"It is tied," Yamamoto announced. "We have no choice but to bring the matter to Central 46. This meeting is adjourned."

"I see," Kusaka walked toward the door. "But remember this: If anyone makes that prisoner spill blood before his sentence, I will personally have their head."

Kusaka's gaze was murderous.

Yoruichi had easily got them past the two giants the Shibas called guards. Well, he is Yoruichi.

"Follow me..." Yoruichi said. "Shiba Kuukaku...you are well?"

"Yoruichi...is that you?" Shiba Kuukaku looked up. "Well, it is."

"Good evening, Kuukaku, my friend."

"You two, Yoruichi..."

"W-Wait a second...KUUKAKU'S A WOMAN?!"

"Don't be so surprised, Carrot Top," the woman said.

"Will everyone stop calling me that?! My name is Kurosaki Ichigo!"

Kuukaku stopped. "Kurosaki, you say?" Ichigo nodded. "You must be related to that Kurosaki Toushirou kid."

The group's ears perked up.

"You know Toushirou-kun?" Orihime asked.

"Of course. Who doesn't? But I just heard the worst..."

"What do you mean the worst?" Uryuu asked her.

"I mean...the Shinigami just gave the poor kid the worst sentence of all..."

Kuchiki Byakuya had returned to the prison after the second meeting that day, where Renji was still there, giving Toushirou company.

"_'Hitsugaya Toushirou is hereby sentenced to be hanged twenty-eight days from now. This decision of the Central 46 is final and absolute. No exceptions'_," Byakuya read.

"You mean...?" Renji asked.

Byakuya wordlessly nodded.

Toushirou couldn't believe his ears.

"The sentence...of death..." Kuukaku finished.

Ichigo couldn't either.

~12~12~12~12~

A/N: Well, we now know who the Tenth Division Captain is and what Toushirou's fate is. But Ichigo knows too! What will he do? What now? Will Kuukaku help them? Review!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: uh-oh. It's the thirteenth chapter. Thirteen is an unlucky number. That means that nothing good will happen. Or will it? Maybe something good will happen, but it will only get worse from then on. Hmm...Anyways, so many reviews. Here are the Review Responses:

**skylark dragonstar:** Oh, sorry it was short. I was kind of in a hurry to post it up so I could post this one up. Anyways...Yep, you heard me right. Sentenced to death for surviving the first time. And those of who guessed Kusaka as the new Tenth Squad Captain were right. So congrats! And you will see...

**Dragon Silhouette:** Actually, I did have the Sougyouku in mind, so when I said hanged, I meant executed. Although, your idea of 'hanged' is actually pretty awesome. For the first reason for being executed: You will find out later on in the story. *evil laugh, then...cough, cough* A-hem. Sorry. I just love suspense. ^^

** 550:** Yes, he does. But he doesn't get his zanpaktou _yet_. Sorry. T^T

**Bleach Hui:** You are probably the only one who understands why Aizen is doing all of this to Toushirou out of all Shinigami. Because of it, here, have a cookie. And yes, Rukia does have a role in this story. Not as dominant as Toushirou and Ichigo's, but she does have a significant role. And good luck on your exams.

**ExorcistWhite:** You are the only one who caught Kusaka's line there. You may have a cookie too. I love that line, though. It's one of my favorites out of the entire story. A-hem. Sorry. Ranting again, aren't I? Anyways, yes, Kusaka does still care for his friend. Well, Toushirou and his past Shinigami self are the same people, not a reincarnate or something like that. He was born into the World of the Living, but his physical body wasn't created by Urahara. It was created by gathered reishi to be perfectly honest.

**Shiro Neko:** You will find out later on in the story.

**Hiira:** Thank you. I'm glad you like it.

**Tirugat:** Lol! I love enthusiastic reviewers! ^^

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, even though I wish I did.

~13~13~13~13~

Chapter 13: Divide and Conquer

Ichigo was furious. Enough said.

"What?! You mean...Toushirou's going to die?!"

"That's right, Carrot Top. The poor kid has a death sentence," Kuukaku said.

"How...?!" Ichigo was furious and speechless at the same time. Nothing was coming out the way he wanted it.

"Kurosaki, calm down," Uryuu told him.

Ichigo's head snapped toward the Quincy.

"And you're not worried?!" The carrot top retorted.

"Of course I am," Uryuu said, pushing up his glasses with his index finger. "I'm just not openly showing it like you are."

Ichigo scoffed.

"Anyways," Orihime interrupted, "Shiba-san, will you help us?"

Kuukaku paused, pretending thinking about it.

"Let me think...no."

"WHAT?!"

The busty woman then laughed out loud.

"Ha ha! Gotcha! Of course I'll help you! In my opinion, that kid never deserved to die..."

Ichigo's smile appeared.

"And I'll show you how you'll enter the Soul Society. Ganju!"

"Yes Ma'am!" A man came running in. "Yes, Onee-sama?"

"Show them the cannonball."

Pause.

"Cannonball?"

Toushirou, now an official prisoner of Soul Society, was moved from the Division Six prison to someplace. He didn't know where. They put a cloth over his head and he was unable to see where he was going. Not even looking down helped. It only made it worse.

Now, Toushirou was in a large tower that had named the Shi-Shinro. When he looked out of the small window it had, he could tell that he was up high. Whoever, wanted to come see him, they would have to be very fit Shinigami.

He just couldn't get over it. When he first came here, he didn't want to leave. That and the fact that he never wanted to see Ichigo ever again. He was too mad at him to care.

But now that he found out about his death sentence, he wanted to leave. He never wanted to come here. Most of all, he wanted Ichigo here.

No one was there with him. Not that he cared.

Either way, a teardrop rolled down his cheek.

And another one.

And then a third one.

Soon, he was crying.

"Ichigo..."

"Toushirou...?"

They had indeed entered the Soul Society...in a cannonball.

They entered the atmosphere alright, but as soon as the entered, the cannonball broke and the group all went their separate ways.

Chad and Yoruichi were by themselves. Uryuu had caught Orihime. Finally, Ichigo and Ganju also somehow ended up together.

Ichigo and Ganju were falling, but Ganju said a spell and the ground below them turned the sand.

Ichigo and Ganju were about to walk away.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A bald Shinigami spoke up from behind them.

Ganju gulped loudly.

"Ichigo...I think we should run..."

"No way! I'm not running. You can run, but I'm not. I've got a brother to save."

Ganju hesitated. After a long pause, Ichigo finally put his hand on his sword hilt, the bald man doing the same. Ganju took off, but the baldie's feathered friend had gone after him.

"Say..." the bald man said, "What's your name?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I'm here to save my brother from being executed by the likes of you..."

"B-Brother?" Ichigo nodded. "So that kid is your little brother. Honestly, I don't see the point in executing him. He doesn't deserve to die. He deserves him. Anyways, I'm Madarame Ikkaku. I say that two males who had the same first name initial be friends. What do you say?"

Ichigo cracked a small smile, looking down at the ground.

"You and him are close, aren't you?" Ikkaku asked.

Ichigo looked back up at the bald man in front of him. On Ichigo's face was a sad smile. He closed his eyes and slowly nodded. He then reached into his shihakusho and pulled out the charm bracelet. He closed his fist tightly around it and put it back.

"I will not fail. If you get in my way..." Ichigo snapped up at Ikkaku with a death glare. "I will kill you."

Ikkaku smiled. "I knew I sensed some fighting spirit in you. I was just testing it out there."

There was a pause.

"Go."

"Huh?" Ichigo was confused. Ikkaku was not pulling his sword out.

"I said go. Go find your brother. Don't tell anyone I told you this, but I heard that he's at the Division Six barracks, at least, that's where he should be now if they haven't already moved him."

Ichigo could not speak.

"Why are you doing this? And where do I go?"

"Go northwest from here. And I'm just doing you and the kid a favor. Good luck, Carrot Top. You'll need it. There are some brutal Shinigami out there."

"Thanks." Ichigo gave Ikkaku a smirk and shunpo'd off.

Toushirou's white head whipped around. Had Ichigo heard him? On his face was a hopeful look.

No. Standing in the doorway was a silhouette that looked nothing like Ichigo. The hair pattern was all wrong.

His smile fell.

"Who...are you...?"

The figure stepped out into the light.

"I guessed it's true after all. You really do have amnesia. I'm rather disappointed actually."

"But who are you?"

The man had black hair, styled in a bun-like hairstyle, and blue eyes. He also had on a Captain's haori, the same that Kuchiki-taichou had on.

"I'm Kusaka Soujirou, Captain of the Tenth Division, and your best friend from the Academy..."

~13~13~13~13~

A/N: I apologize if it seems too short. And I'm sorry if it seems late. Anyways, review, please!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I apologize for the slow update. Here is Chapter 14. Review Responses:

**Dragon Silhouette:** I apologize if it's hard to determine the line breaks. But anyways, hopefully, this chapter will cure your pain.

**Hiira:** There is more! Keep reading!

** 550:** Here is your update. :)

**Musical Ninja: **Yeah. I just thought that Kusaka would be the kind of guy that would take over a friend's duties if the friend is unable to.

**Uzumaki Kitsunaka:** I update whenever I finish a chapter. I don't really have a schedule. That's why you have to pay attention.

**skylark dragonstar:** You'll see…

**Kiku-Goldenflower:** I'm really glad you like it. If I wanted you to know something right away, I would have told you already. If I wanted you to guess or predict, I would leave clues. Again, that's the way you guys want it. And the Sogyouku is actually being used. I forgot to mention that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I wish I did though.

~14~14~14~14~

Chapter 14: New Addition to the Team

Something was blocking Ichigo's path. Or rather, someone.

That someone has red hair in a pineapple shaped ponytail.

"Abarai Renji..." Ichigo muttered with venom in his voice. He knew very well that Renji wasn't going to let him go that easily.

"Kurosaki Ichigo..." Renji said, equally angry.

And Ichigo was right.

But Renji had his reasons.

"I will never forgive you! It's all your fault! It's all because of you that the kid has to go through this!" Renji shouted.

Ichigo said nothing.

"Even if it takes my life, I will stop you!"

"You will try, Pineapple...you will try..."

Both Shinigami drew their blades.

"Calm down, Toushirou. Not everyone in Soul Society is out to get you. I just want to talk. You know, like friends. Just like we used to."

Toushirou lifted a snowy white eyebrow in confusion. "'Friends'?" He repeated. The word sounded so strange when he said it himself, yet so familiar.

"That's right."

It took a while, but Toushirou made up his mind.

"Go ahead. Speak your mind...friend..."

"It's my fault you're in here. If I hadn't wanted the same power as you so badly, this would never have happened."

Toushirou did not have a clue what Kusaka was talking about, but he said nothing and let the man continue.

"And none of the Captains wanted me to tell you this, but I will anyway. They knew you would recognize him the moment you heard his description..."

Toushirou tensed up, not knowing what was going to happen.

Ichigo woke up in a dark place. He heard the sound of rushing water and his eyes imediately opened. He sat up quickly but slowly lay back down, hissing at the pain all over his body.

"Ouch...G-Ganju? Did I win?"

"Hey. And yes. You won."

"Try not to move so much, Kurosaki-san. You're still injured."

Ichigo automatically complied, not complaining about the order. But his eyes shot open once again when he realized the order had come from a voice that he had never heard before.

"Who are you?"

The kid Shinigami meeped in surprise.

"Im sorry. I'm Yamada Hantarou. I'm a Shinigami from Division Four, the Division in charge of medical issues and supplies and cleaning and things like that! I'm the seventh seat."

"Hanatarou."

Hanatarou reminded Ichigo of a hyper and wimpy Toushirou, which has not, nor ever will, happen.

The carrot top smiled.

"Thanks, kid."

Hanatarou softly meeped again. Then he smiled back, saying, "You're welcome."

"So what's the diagnosis, 'Doc'?" Ichigo asked.

"You'll be fine. You should be careful for a few days though. And you would have had a huge shoulder wound if that mask hadn't been protecting you."

"Mask? What mask?" Ichigo asked.

Hanatarou pointed to a hollow mask, just like the one from Ichigo's training with Urahara.

_'It protected me...'_

"I'm helping you, because...Hitsugaya-san was a good mentor to me back when he was still a Shinigami here in the Soul Society. He helped me out, and to make us even, I'm attempting to do the same for him." Ichigo smiled at this. He had yet another ally. And that was saying something. "And Hitsugaya-san was not at the Sixth Division barracks when you arrived there, Kurosaki-san."

"Huh? He wasn't? So my fight with Renji was worth nothing?"

"No, it wasn't," Ganju cut in. "By fighting Renji, you met Hanatarou, who has been proven to be a formidable ally." Hanatarou blushed at the praise.

"Anyways, he was moved just five hours earlier. He was moved in secret, to the Shi-Shinro."

"Which is where?" Both Ganju and Ichigo asked.

"It's the tallest tower in the Soul Society. When we're ready to get out of here, I'll show you and I'll lead you there."

Ichigo smiled again. "Thanks, Hanatarou. You really are a lifesaver."

Hanatarou smiled again.

"Some Ryoka broke into Soul Society a few days ago. One of them had on a black shihakusho with a large butcher-knife like zanpaktou on his back. Sound familiar?"

Toushirou shook his head.

"Well then, the man also had...orange hair..."

Toushirou's eyes went wide.

"Ichigo..." he breathed out.

"Rumor has it that he's headed towards this tower right now."

Toushirou said nothing else.

~14~14~14~14~

A/N: Unless you want Chapter 15 to be slow on updating like this one, I NEED SOME MOTIVATION! (Sorry for yelling. T^T)


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Chapter 15 is here! Review Responses:

**lucidatray7:** _I'll try to find room for it somewhere. I can't make any promises though. Sorry. _T^T

**skylark dragonstar:** _Sorry, I'll try to be slower. Hopefully, this chapter helps you._

**Dragon Silhouette:** _Thank you so much for the various kinds of motivation! I appreciate it!_

** 550: **_For those who like a little spoiler: Momo and Rukia will most likely appear in the next chapter._

**DragonsFlame117:** _Lol. Keep reading and find out!_

**ShiroNeko:** _I'll try to update faster. But school has started and I'm working on homework on top of my stories. So…pray for me. _T.T

**toshirolovehim:** _Yay! A reader from early on! I'm glad you found it again._

**ttcrazedman:** _Don't worry. Here's an update._

**AMMO121: **_Cool. Mind sending me a link or something to that particular story?_

_Thank you for all the reviews, alerts, and what not! It means a lot!_

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.

~15~15~15~15~

Chapter 15: A Brotherly Reunion

Kusaka threw his hands up in defeat. "I don't care about this damned time limit! I'm guarding you until your brother comes to get you."

Toushirou's head snapped up. "You...are helping me?"

Kusaka turned his head around to look at his young friend. "Of course. That's what friends are for."

Toushirou smiled softly, believing that this man was truly his friend. He reminiscenced the past few days, stroking the red choker collar around his neck.

So much had happened. It was only fair to start from the beginning.

Ichigo finally reached the top of the steps of the Shi-Shinro. He was dead tired. He looked back at Hanatarou, who had taken a Military Rations pill and was not tired, and Ganju, who was tired too, but more so than Ichigo.

Ichigo kept going up the stairs, not caring if Hanatarou and Ganju were following him. All he kept his head around was Toushirou. He would succeed at last. This time, he would save his brother and get him back home again.

He wakes up in a blazing snowstorm and is found by the Kurosaki Family, most specifically Ichigo.

He can't remember what happened to him or who his parents are. Nothing. Just his name.

Later that year, Masaki dies from what he fears is a terrifying monster.

Again, even later that same year, he finally has a surname to call his own: Kurosaki.

He spends so much time with his new family, he is happy that he is not alone anymore.

But that changes when Kuchiki Rukia and Hinamori Momo, both Shinigami from the Soul Society, arrive in Karakura Town, changing his and Ichigo's entire lives around.

He finds out that he can use kidou and eventually that he too is a Shinigami, one with a _pink_ spirit ribbon.

Then he is taken by more Shinigami and, after about a week or two, is sentenced to death.

He is here now, listening to every word that his old Academy friend says, stroking this weird red choker.

It was reasonable and explainable so far. The only thing that made no sense was this:

What the hell was the red choker _for_?

Kusaka had managed to snap him out of the stage that his friend was in. Toushirou's eyes were glossy and unemotional. He was absentmindedly stroking the choker he had around his neck, as if wondering what his life was worth now.

"Toushirou...we should probably go now. If we want to get to your brother on time, we should go now..."

Toushirou absentmindedly nodded and stood up, but wobbled a bit, having been sitting all day. His legs needed some time to get used to walking again.

After gaining his balance once more, he followed his friend out of the door to the prison tower, but the two got a surprise that really got them good.

Ichigo was standing in front of them, blades clashing with Kuchiki Byakuya.

Once he saw Toushirou, he gathered to strength to push Byakuya off of him and leaped up and then landed in front Toushirou, checking him over for any injuries.

"Toushirou! I'm so glad you're here!"

Toushirou stared at Ichigo, still unable to get the fact that Ichigo was finally here through his head.

"Toushirou!" Ichigo snapped his fingers a couple times, until Toushirou finally got a grip on reality.

"Ichigo! What are you doing here?"

Ichigo stood there, disbelieving that he had just said that. It should be so obvious.

"Dammit! It's so obvious! I'm here to save your sorry butt! You know what?! From now on, all of your opinions are rejected!"

That seemed to make Toushirou snap.

"What the hell?! As the captive and prisoner, I feel like I should have the right to voice my opinion on anything!"

Ichigo said nothing, but he put his sword back on his back and held up both hands to his face and wiggled his fingers while sticking his tongue out at his little brother.

Toushirou shuddered in severe anger, but said nothing.

All in all, no matter what Toushirou said or did would change his mind. He truly was glad that Ichigo here. The fight the two were currently having was reminding him of the happier times that the two had. Now that Ichigo was here, every thing would be alright now.

But that idea snapped out of his head when he heard a sword being unsheathed.

Kusaka had drawn his zanpaktou and stepped in front of the two brothers, protecting them. Ichio quickly noticed that few more Shinigami, Captain-class, had arrived. Apparently, he had wasted too much time on arguing with Toushirou that he had missed his opportunity to get Toushirou away from here.

"Meh, what are you doing here, Kusaka?" A spiky-haired man asked.

"Stopping you from spilling my friend's blood. Remember? If anyone spilled a single drop of his blood, I said I would make sure that they faced me. That goes for you too, Kenpachi. Just because you're the Eleventh Division Captain doesn't mean you get to ignore it."

The two women Captains were silently standing, the shorter one carefully watching Toushirou, as if she were afraid of him successfully escaping. The taller woman gently held Hanatarou back, who had just arrived. Ichigo noticed this, but said nothing.

"What the hell is all this?" Ichigo finally asked, finding his voice after searching for it for a couple minutes while observing the scene.

"We're terribly sorry, but we are not permitted to let you go with or without the prisoner," Soifon stated.

Ichigo scowled. "Work, that's all you Shinigami ever think about. Think about some fun or something else!"

"Not likely, kid," Kyouraku kindly retorted, as Kenpachi readied himself to make the first attack.

"Calm yourself, Zaraki," Ukitake calmly commanded, but his voice was firm. "We'll give you a choice, kid. You may willingly surrender or you can try to get out of this the hard way. Your choice."

"I'm not going to try, I'm going to succeed! So back off before I hurt you!" Ichigo firmly stated.

As Ichigo spoke, Toushirou gathered his reaitsu, but a sharp pain in his neck ruined his concentration and Toushirou fell to his knees, absentmindedly stroking red choker again.

"Toushirou!" Ichigo was worried.

"Such a fool," Soifon said. "That choker prevents you from performing any kidou or gathering any energy for a reaitsu-related attack."

That answered Toushirou's question from before.

"Too bad, kid," Kenpachi said, and charged for an attack.

The spiky haired Captain's attack was so strong that Ichigo was knocked over onto his back. He wasn't expecting _that_...

Seeing the carrot top on the ground, Kenpachi lunged from another attack. A was a large flash and the sound of a sword cutting through flesh and a couple drops of blood splashing on the wooden floor.

Ichigo adjusted his position to get a better of what had happened.

Toushirou and attempted to punch Zaraki's zanpaktou away from Ichigo, and he had succeeded, but had a cut a deep cut on his hands near his knuckles because of it. Toushirou's hand was trembling and he was wincing pain. He had never done _that_ before.

Zaraki was standing there, wondering the hell just happened and Toushirou saw this as the cue to continue what he was trying to do. So Toushirou flipped over Zaraki and grabbed his sword arm and pulled it behind the man with all his might.

"Go, Ichigo! Run! Get out of here!"

"Not without you, you idiot!" ichigo seemed surprised that his brother would say such a thing.

Toushirou was begging. "No, you're the idiot here! THEY'LL KILL YOU!"

"NOT AS BAD AS THEM KILLING YOU!"

With a huge burst of adrenaline, Ichigo leaped forward and grabbed Toushirou around his waist and drug him to the side of the bridge. He had gotten to him at last, now to fight all these people off.

Soifon lunged at Ichigo, stinging him a first time, a second time, he would be a goner. Ichigo didn't know that, but for some reason, Toushirou did. So when Soifon lunged at Ichigo a second time, Toushirou pushed him out of the way and had gotten stung instead, gaining a black butterfly stamp on his back.

Soifon stood down immediately and shouted at the other Captains who were also at the scene as well. "Stand down! All of you! Even you, Zaraki! We have strict orders not to harm the prisoner! If he keeps standing in the way of our attacks on this carrot top kid, then he'll be a goner before his execution date! Stand down!"

Ichigo was fading in and out of consciousness. His wounds had reopened. He was no longer safe from bleeding out. He face was about to hit the ground, but a catlike woman had appeared. She spoke only once.

"Treat your prisoner and I will treat my comrade." the woman used shunpo to get away. The amazing thing was...

No one went after her to stop her.

The last thing Toushirou saw Ichigo shrinking in the distance, feeling tears gently fall down his face...

Afterwards, Soifon had gone to get the Soutaichou, but she didn't have to go that far, because he was already arriving on the scene. He silently ordered all the Captains except Unohana and Ukitake to return to their barracks.

"After Unohana treats the prisoner here on the spot, Ukitake, I want you to take him to your prison barracks in Division Thirteen. This matter is to be discussed between us three only. Understood?"

The two Captains nodded, understanding the Soutaichou's reasons.

Hanatarou, who was holding an unconscious Toushirou in his arms, was greeted by his Captain.

"Taichou, I am deeply sorry. I betrayed you and the Soul Society. I only wanted to help him."

"It's alright, Hanatarou, but I'll deal with you later. Right now, let us treat him."

Hanatarou wordlessly nodded.

It didn't take much time. Toushirou wasn't hurt that badly. He received a bandage on his right hand, the one that was cut up, and he had been given the antidote for Soifon's poison.

But he was still out cold.

As Ukitake listened to Sentarou and Kiyone fight over who got to carry the boy to their barracks, he couldn't help but notice that Toushirou seemed a lot different than when he had last seen him.

Fed up with their arguing, Ukitake was the one to pick Toushirou up, but as they were walking, Ukitake couldn't stop thinking about what he saw between Toushirou and the carrot top, Ichigo.

That was a true brotherly bond for you.

But he also couldn't help but notice a strange silver bracelet on Toushirou's wrist.

~15~15~15~15~

A/N: This motivation block is KILLING ME! X Again, sorry for yelling. T.T

Hey! If any of you can spot some difference in the story, tell me! You may be right! And it's so obvious. And who can tell me what that bracelet on Toushirou's wrist was?


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thank you all for reading it! Review Responses:

** 550:** Actually, yes…

**Espadakatsukreuz XIII: **Of course. Wouldn't change it for the world. Kinda reminds you of Ed and Al in Fullmetal Alchemist, doesn't it?

**Shiro Neko: **Thank you.

**skylark dragonstar:** Nope. That's not it. You get a free cookie though, for trying.

**Dragon Silhouette:** Hurray! You get a free cookie for getting it right! It is the bracelet that Isshin gave to Ichigo to give to Toushirou!

**toshirolovehim: **Good job. You also get a free cookie for getting it right.

**azure blue espeon: **Thank you for the compliments.

**Kiku-Goldenflower:** I guess you will.

**AMMO121: **Thank you. And here you go. This chapter indicated what Rangiku is really thinking. Keep reading! ^^

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!

_Line Breaks! I added line breaks in the previous chapter! No one caught that?_

~16~16~16~16~

Chapter 16: Hinamori's Decision

It was dark outside, but the stars lit up her cell like a neon light. Hinamori sighed. How long were they planning on keeping her in this cell? All she did was defend her friend. So why were they doing this to her?

A guard came up to her cell, but she didn't notice. "Hinamori-fukutaichou?" The guard asked.

"Yes?" she asked softly.

"I bring news to you from the Soutaichou. He says that the prisoner was broken out of the Shi-Shinro early this morning, but was terribly injured in the battle over his custody and was taken to another prison block."

"Which one?"

"Sorry, ma'am. It's classified."

Momo's eyes softened sadly. "I see. Thank you."

The guard bowed and walked back to his post and the entrance to the Division Five prison block.

That next morning, Kuchiki Rukia walked around her barracks a free woman. Yesterday was the day she was finally let off of house arrest. She walked over her Division's office. She knocked.

"Come in," Ukitake said.

Rukia opened the door, just as Ukitake set down his morning tea.

"Ah, Kuchiki-san. I'm glad your here. I was just about to call you."

"Really, sir?"

"Of course. I need you to do me a favor. Go down to the Thirteenth Division prison block and watch over our new prisoner. Notify me immediately if there is any change in his condition."

Rukia nodded and turned to the door.

"And Kuchiki-san?" Rukia turned. "There's no need for your zanpaktou." Rukia nodded before heading out, closing the door on the way.

Soifon's light, fast footsteps were mismatched by Oomaeda's slow, heavy ones.

_'I heard his defensive abilities were high, but I heard he nearly took Kira-fukutaichou's hand off when they went to the Living World to fetch him, I couldn't believe it. Not to mention that yesterday morning, he nearly broke Kenpachi's arm. And he did that without gathering any reiatsu at all. We better be more careful...'_

"It's joke, right?" Oomaeda laughed. "I mean a kid like that against a captain like Zaraki. It's such a joke!"

"Be careful, Marechiyo." Oomaeda fell silent. "He nearly took off Kira's hand. He may have been reborn into human form, but he is starting to get his Shinigami relfexes back. What happened to Kira may happen to you."

Oomaeda said nothing for the rest of the day.

Matsumoto Rangiku hadn't drunk a single sip of sake all day. That was very unusual behavior for her. Normally, she wouldn't miss sake for the world. But she had a reason.

The prisoner the Soul Society was talking about all the time. She caught a glimpse of him when he first got here. She knew him. She was the one who told him to enlist as a Shinigami, but had wound up dead. Now, he was back. She was happy at first, but that happiness disappeared when she heard the poor kid's death sentence.

This poor kid was to be executed by the use of the Sougyouku in ten days.

Yes, you heard right.

They _moved_ his execution date _up_ by _six_ days.

That's what got Rangiku so down. She wanted to help him so badly, but anyone who helped the prisoner would be put in prison like Hinamori.

But there was something else bothering her. Her Captain, Kusaka, had not come out of his room ever since he got back yesterday. She was worried...

Rukia walked down to the cell block of the Thirteenth Division and stopped in front of the newly occupied cell. This new prisoner...she was to watch over him. Ukitake had told her "not like a guard" but "as a guardian angel" or "bodyguard". They were orders from her captain, so she couldn't help but nod and follow them.

Now that was she was here, she peeked inside, just to get a better picture of who the prisoner was and why Ukitake had told her to be gentle.

She softly gasped.

The prisoner, lying on a bed, out cold, was _Toushirou_.

Hinamori had the entire day to think. That night, she narrowed her fire-filled eyes again.

_'Zaraki-taichou...he tried to hurt him...on purpose...for that, I will not forgive him.'_

"Excuse me," she calmly said to the guard.

He turned around, saying "What is it?" but then gasped. Hinamori's eyes were glazed over with anger. He felt his body go weak and his world went black.

Hinamori turned back to the wall, inwardly proud of how effectively her Hakufuku had worked on the guard.

Suddenly, a wall was blasted apart by a strong kidou.

~16~16~16~16~

A/N: Review please! Motivation block again! T^T


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thank you all for reading this! Review Responses:

**azure blue espeon**: _ Sorry to hear that. If it helps, reread the entire thing._

**toshirolovehim: **_Just remember _"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." _Remember that, ignore those kind of reviews, and you'll be okay._

**Dragon Silhouette: **_Sorry about that. I was in a hurry. Hopefully these two are better._

**AMMO101: **_Yay! Thank you very much!_

**Shiro Neko: **_I give you a Double Feature this time because I know both chapters are way too short. So viola!_

**InfiniteAnimeHolic:** _Glad to know you're so interested. Keep reading for more. Don't worry. I'm thinking about making it HitsuHina friendship only anyways. Maybe IchiHime romance, just a bit, but I wouldn't really count on it._

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!

Sorry it's so short!

~17~17~17~17~

Chapter 17: The Princess and the Peach

"...'That he was forced to cooperate by these Ryoka! As such, I ask you, Unohana-taichou, that you make a rational decision about this and not punish him too severely!'" Kiyone covered her ears as Sentarou practically shouted Ukitake's letter.

"I appreciate Ukitake's concern for my subordinate, but that does not cancel the fact that Hanatarou aided the Ryoka. For now, Hanatarou, I will place you in the Fourth Division Prison Block..."

"Yes, Ma'am..." Hanatarou weakly said, letting Isane escort him to his new cell.

"Fukutaichou," Hanatarou asked Isane.

"Yes?"

"I wasn't forced to help them. I chose to help them. Do you think Taichou knows that?"

"Knowing Unohana-taichou, yes, she probably does. But whether she knows or not, she sentenced you to five days in prison."

"I just...I feel so bad for him...why does he have to go through this?! If I could, I would definitely take his place!"

Isane merely put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him, as the poor kid was close to crying.

"Me too, Hanatarou...me too..."

_'Uryuu is in prison...and it's all my fault...because I ran away!'_ Orihime though, hiding in a dark alley with her Shun Shun Rikka.

_'You didn't run away!' _Orihime heard Shunou as he and Ayame healed Tsubaki, who was greatly injured from his attempted attack towards Kurotsuchi. _'He told that Shinigami to take you and run to somewhere safe.'_

_'But Chad and Ganju are in prison too!'_

_'Don't worry,'_ Lily said. _'You are a very courageous person, Orihime. You can save them. We all have faith in you. Have faith in us and together, we can do anything!'_

_'Yeah! You're right! I can, and I will!' _The sound of heavy footsteps and looked up to see a face she never thought she'd see again.

"No way...it can't be...!"

"You're...!"

Yoruichi watched as Ichigo fought against a manifestation of Zangetsu.

"You taught him Bankai right after you gave him his Shinigami powers back, Kisuke, and you told me to train him so that his bankai gets stronger and I am doing so...but what do you want me to do with this?" Yoruichi pondered. She felt a strong reaitsu approach the hidden cave. Curious as to whom it was, and on high alert, never letting her guard down, Yoruichi went to meet this stranger who dares trespass on this private training ground.

She met the stranger and didn't seem convinced at the look on his face.

"There you are, Abarai Renji...why the hell are you here?" she sternly asked.

"I've come here to train and talk to Ichigo..."

"I'm not convinced..."

"Really?"

"Yep. Convince me."

Kuchiki Rukia stood and kept watch, like a "guardian angel" at the door of Toushirou's cell. The boy was still out cold and Rukia was getting worried.

She saw him toss and turn and took a step closer. It appeared that he was having a nightmare. Rukia worriedly wondered what it was about.

She heard him wimper and her heart silently broke, even if it was just a little fracture, it hurt to see the kid in so much pain.

"I wish I could do something to help..." Rukia whispered, close to crying herself. "But I will not cry..."

"Momo-chan!"

"Orihime-chan!"

"What are you doing?" Orihime quietly asked.

"Helping Shirou-chan...You?"

"Same...or trying to...I can't think of a good plan though...first, I want to get Uryuu, Chad, and Ganju out of prison...Then, together, we're gonna find Ichigo and then save Toushirou...I don't want to do it by myself though..."

"Don't worry...you won't be alone," Momo assured her. "You have me. And I know just the person who breaks the rules all the time and never gets in trouble."

"Who?"

"Zaraki Kenpachi..."

"T-Taichou...are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, Matsumoto, I am feeling alright..."

"You know...if you want to talk...I'm right here...always..."

"Don't worry, Matsumoto...nothing is wrong...I just want to be alone for a while..."

It took a while for Rangiku to respond to that.

"O...kay...Of course, Taichou..."

"I see what you two get out of it...but what do I get?" Zaraki asked. Momo and Orihime were sitting in front of Kenpachi and his usual squad. Yumichika kept muttering about how Orihime was gorgeous, while Ikkaku kept saying that Momo was going to get in trouble. Momo sent him a look to shut him up.

Momo and Orihime hesitated.

"You get to fight Ichigo!" Orihime blurted out loud. Momo looked at her in surprise. "You'll have fun with Ichigo! Help us and this will direct you towards Ichigo!"

Kenpachi hesitated and thought before answering, probably to give off a sense of suspence.

"Alright...I'll help you ladies. Just remember to let me fight Ichigo!"

~17~17~17~17~

A/N: Review, please! X( Motivation block is killing me! T^T


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thank you all for reading this! Sorry, no Review Responses. This is a Double Feature, remember? Review Reponses are in the previous chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!

Sorry it's short!

~18~18~18~18~

Chapter 18: The Calm Before the Storm

Toushirou couldn't see a thing. It was dark and cold. Surprisingly, the cold actually bothered him. It didn't usually do that. He was used to the cold. He liked the cold air and the season of winter. Most of all, he couldn't see Ichigo or feel his presence.

That's why he was so cold...

He couldn't feel Ichigo's presence anywhere near him.

Toushirou felt his eyes squeeze shut and when he opened them, he was back in a cell. He shivered. Was he still so cold? He looked over to his left.

"K-Kuchiki-san...?"

Rukia looked at him in surprise and them muttered something in her hand and let go a butterfly and then turned back to him and smiled.

"You're awake! How do you feel?"

"Cold..." was all he could think of. He couldn't stop thinking about Ichigo. "Ichigo...where is he?"

"I know these aren't the words you want to hear right now, Toushirou, but it's the truth. I really don't know where the hell Ichigo is..."

Toushirou shivered again. "I-It's fine...Just curious..."

There was a short pause.

"Are you sure you're okay, Toushirou?"

What he said next surprised her to a certain degree.

"No, not really..."

"I see...would you like a anything?"

"Ichigo..." was all he said.

"Alright...I'll see what I can do..."

She had to lie to him. There was nothing she could do.

Absolutely nothing.

A butterfly gently fluttered across Uryuu's face.

"Oh, look...a little butterfly just flew into the room...huh, does that mean that it's spring in the Soul Society?"

"Oh, great, now he's seeing butterflies..." Ganju said. "Well, let's see if he manages to catch the pretty butterflies, Uryuu!"

"What?! Where do you go off calling me by my first name?! You are not a close enough friend for that and if you keep making insulting comments about chasing butterflies, then you never will be!"

"Who said I wanted to be friends with an oddball like you in the first place?!"

"What?! Why you...!"

"Shh..." Chad silenced. "Listen..."

It sounded like...noises...that were headed their direction.

Suddenly the ceiling crashed.

Out of the rubble stepped Kenpachi with his entire posse.

"What?! Oh, no, we're all doomed!" Ganju kept screaming his head off. "We're all gonna die!"

"Hey, now, Ganju-san!" All three guys turned to Orihime, perched on Kenpachi's shoulder. "It's alright! We're so glad to see that all three of you are okay!"

"I'm glad to see you're okay, too, Inoue," Uryuu said, "But 'We'?"

Momo lifted herself up. "Yep, 'We'!" Orihime lightly screamed and groaned as Yachiru pulled her down and wouldn't let go.

"Anyways, can we just get out of here so we can find Ichigo-san?" Momo asked Kenpachi as Ikkaku and Yumichika tried to pull Yachiru off of the poor Ryoka girl.

It was that afternoon. Toushirou was still lying on his cot, hands surprisingly not bound, but he could still feel that choker hot around his neck. It burned whenever he was gathering reiatsu, but this time, it wasn;t on purpose.

Ukitake had come in earlier and when Toushirou asked about the choker, the older man and said that Toushirou's body naturally gathered reaitsu every time it tried to heal itself and that's why he fell into a little coma.

After Ukitake left, Toushirou tried not to think about anything but the pain he was in.

"Oh, Toushirou?" Rukia said.

"Hmm?"

"I forgot to mention...tonight will probably be your last..." Toushirou slowly turned his head towards her, not beleiving what he was about to hear. "I'm sorry, but tomorrow morning is your execution. Therefore...good luck..."

Toushirou said nothing but, "I see..." before gazing back at the ceiling and slowly falling back asleep.

He didn't notice Rukia's sad gaze upon him, which slowly turned into a determined look.

"What?!" Ichigo was outright furious when he heard Renji say it. "They're executing him tomorrow morning!"

"That's only ten hours away," Yoruichi said. "We'd better hurry things up, Ichigo."

"Ichigo," Renji said. "Don't worry and focus on perfecting your bankai technique. I will hold them off for as long as I can. Beleive it or not, Ichigo, but you're not the only one willing to help Toushirou."

"Renji..."

"Trust me to give them the best opening act just for you, and I'll trust you to come in on the right chords, okay?" Renji smirked.

Ichigo nodded and smirked back. "Alright. Let's get down to business, Yoruichi! Let's finish this, once and for all."

Yoruichi also nodded and said, "Right."

~18~18~18~18~

A/N: Review, please! X( Motivation block is killing me! T^T


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thank you all for reading this! Review Reponses:

**Black Cat Angel: Thank you very much!**

**azure blue espeon: Trust me. You will see way more of Toushirou, especially in this chapter.**

**Syl The tWins: I know what you mean, but I wanted to get those two Chapters over with. Here's one, long chapter for you.**

**Espadakatsukreuz XIII: Thank you very, very much.**

**Dragon Silhouette: Sorry. I'll try to update faster. I know where I'm going with this story, I just lack motivation. (I'm going through my Power Rangers phase right now as you can tell if you go on my profile.)**

**jkjhkj: Thank you! ^^**

**toshirolovehim: Will they finally save Toushirou in this chapter? Read to find out!**

**Shiro Neko: Thank you. And I know it is. In fact, here's one, long chapter for you!**

**AMMO121: It's fine, really. Just glad you're enjoying the story! ^^**

**skylark dragonstar: Trust me, Rukia and Momo will have a bigger part later on. Right now, it's about Toushirou. But don't worry! They'll have more parts!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!

Thank you for the reviews! I've officially reached 100! Awesome! And all thanks to you, my readers!

Long chapter! Just what y'all want!

~19~19~19~19~

Chapter 19: The Fateful Morning

It was morning...the very next morning. Everyone in the Soul Society knew what day it was.

In a dark room, three figures stood.

"It is time," the first said.

"Oh, today is the day, huh?" the second figure said. "I had completely forgotten."

"Yes, it is," said the third. "And we'll finally get what we are looking for."

The first figure smiled, and said, "Yes...the boy will die today..."

Renji raced to Sogyouku Hill. Today was the day Toushirou would die and Renji promises Ichigo that he would do all he could to stop the execution until Ichigo arrives.

It was time for the opening act. But Renji stopped. He was in his way.

"Kuchiki-taichou...!" Renji gasped angrily. "Get out my way!"

Byakuya turned to see his Lietenant and calmly said, "Oh? Should I get out of your way? But don't you wish to fight your way through?"

What...?!

Kuchiki Byakuya wanted Renji to fight him if he was so keen on getting there before Toushirou was executed?

Renji's hand resting on his sword hilt shook slightly.

The pineapple hesitated...

Would he really fight his Captain?

Kurosaki Ichigo finished his breakfast in a hertbeat.

"Done already?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yep! Today is the day, isn't it? I gotta perfect this technique before Toushirou dies!"

Zangetsu noted his master's determination to save his adopted brother. The two must be really close.

It was funny how many people were so awed at the close bond between Ichigo and Toushirou, even though the two weren't even related.

"You can do it, Ichigo," Zangetsu whispered. "After all, you did succeed in giving Toushirou your father's bracelet..."

"Oh, no! This is dreadfully terrible! What am I gonna do?!" Iba Tetsuzaemon ran down the Seventh Division barracks as fast as he could. He was late and he knew it. He finally stopped in front of his Captain's ready room. "I'm know I'm late, Sir! Somehow, I fell asleep sitting on the toilet and now I'm late arriving to assist you! Please allow me to kill myself as punishment!"

"Never mind that," Komamura Sajin said calmly. "Calm yourself, Tetsuzaemon. You are forgiven. Besides, I believe that you are late because you wanted to give me time to think."

"Huh?"

"I have indeed been thinking, Tetsuzaemon. Thank you for giving me that extra time."

"You're very welcome, Sir. So, Sir, what are you're thoughts on the kid's execution."

"Personally or professionally?"

"Both, Sir..."

Komamura calmly sighed. "Personally, I would not have allowed it. Professionally, though, I will not question Central 46's decision. Orders are orders."

Tetsuzaemon mentally sighed. His Captain was not going to stop the kid's execution after all. Never in his entire life would his Captain let his emotions get in the way of his orders.

Matsumoto Rangiku knocked on her Captain's door.

"Kusaka-taichou! It's time to go, Sir."

Kusaka was not coming out, though. No matter what she tried, Rangiku could not get him to come out ever since the day the prisoner was relocated to a secret facility.

This time, though, she got an answer. "Sorry, Matsumoto. Just go on without me. I'll catch up later."

Rangiku nodded before shunpo'ing off, wondering what her Captain was up to in there.

Renji hesitated...he had been waiting for a chance to fight his Captain, but would he? At a time like this?

Renji took a deep breath and let it out. "Yes, I will! I won't loose to the likes of you!"

Byakuya said nothing, but he unsheathed his zanpaktou, as did Renji.

And so the battle began...

No one else could really catch up with Momo. Orihime called out to her.

"Momo-chan!" Said Shinigami turned around. "Please, slow down! We can barely catch up!"

"Sorry!" Momo said, slowing down a bit, but spoke to them no more.

What if Toushirou was already gone? Momo's brown eyes narrowed in anger.

She would not let that happen.

She wanted to go to Toushirou, but according to Orihime, Uryuu, Chad, and Ganju, Ichigo came first.

Once they found Ichigo, it was sure that Ichigo would solve the rest.

All he needed was a boost of confidence from his friends.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri had visited the Soutaichou before heading off to Sogyouku Hill.

"Soutaichou, it is time to go."

"I have a strong feeling, deep down, that this execution will not go smoothly," Yamamoto confessed. "We have many traitors in our midst, Kurotsuchi."

Said Captain nodded. "And we may have more..."

He chose to fight his Captain, despite what he promises Ichigo to do for him. For his brother...

That was the biggest mistake he ever made.

Renji fell to the ground, blood pouring freely from nearly everywhere on his body. But he felt nothing. He was numb both inside and out.

But he knew that he was hurt because he could not move.

"It seems as thought you lost anyways, Abarai," Byakuya said, before calmly walking away, just leaving Renji lying there, injured.

Kusaka knocked on Ukitake's door.

"You have it?"

Ukitake nodded, carrying the cannon on his shoulder.

"Ready to go?"

Ukitake nodded again.

The two, plus Kiyone, Rukia, and Sentarou, all went out to stop the Sogyouku from being fired.

Renji slowly opened his eyes. He didn't feel any more pain. He looked to the side and saw a kid he had never seen, and this kid was healing.

"W-Who are you?"

The kid meeped in surprise and quietly said, "Oh, you're awake, Fukutaichou. How do you feel?"

Renji spoke the truth. "Like crap..."

"Sorry about that," the kid said. "I'm doing the best I can. But there was someone else who came before me who had healed all of you major wounds. There's only person who could have done that by themselves."

Renji's mind flashed to Unohana-taichou.

"Who are you?" Renji asked again.

"Hmm? Oh, Yamada Hanatarou, why?"

"I thought you were in jail or something."

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Hanatarou said. "I was..."

"Who let you out?"

"I did," Renji turned his head to one of his subordinates.

"Rikichi? What are you doing here?"

"Like I said, I let him out of prison," Rikichi said.

"But why?"

"Because I admire you, Abarai-san," Rikichi said, lifting up his bangs, revealing a small tattoo similar to Renji's. "You're my hero. I saw you fight against the carrot top the other day and I saw you fighting Kuchiki-taichou just now. The way you sacrificed yourself to save the prisoner...that's why you're my hero, Abarai-san. You just give it everything you've got and never give up!"

Renji smiled.

Once Renji was all healed, he stood up straight and tall, wrapping his hair in in a ponytail, shaped like a pineapple wrapped his bandana around his head.

"Both of you, thank you very much," Renji told the two young Shinigami with him.

As Renji ran off, he heard both Shinigami call after him, "Good luck, Abarai-san!"

It was time, and he knew it.

Toushirou's heart was jumpy. He felt kinda sick to his stomach. He was nervous. But most of all, he was heartbroken.

Ichigo hadn't come after all.

He was led to the Sogyouku, which after a few seconds, Toushirou remembered all about.

He remembered that this thing was very powerful and was not an ordinary kidou cannon. He knew that once this thing was fired, there was no stopping.

He stood still in the spot where the men from Omnitsukidou left him. He was really staring at anything. He was staring into nothing and pondering. That's all he really had time for, but not now. Not today. This would be the last time he would ponder about something at all.

"Any last words, Hitsugaya, before we get on with this?"

He wanted to say _"It's Kurosaki"_, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Ichigo didn't come and every time Toushirou pondered on it, the more tears it brought to his turquoise eyes.

He took a deep breath.

"Yeah, just one..." He looked up at the clear, blue sky, with just a couple of small clouds in the distance. "Ichigo...thank you." With that, the white-haired former Shinigami close his eyes, fully accepting his fate.

It didn't matter what the reason was.

If he had to die, so be it.

He vaguely felt the bonds tying his wrist together behind his back come undone but he felt himself being lifted in the air.

When he was at a certain height, he stopped. He didn't bother to look down. He knew that if he did, he would probably faint of vertigo. Instead, he kept his eyes closed.

He heard the word from below on the ground, "Fire", and the far away sound was another reminder of how high up he was.

"Goodbye, Ichigo..." He whispered as he felt the heat of the Sogyouku against his usually cold (and comfortable) body. _'This is going to hurt,' _he thought as he waited for it to strike him.

But it never did. Toushirou opened his eyes, which was courageous, considering his secret fear of heights. Instead of looking down and he looked up at the Sogyouku.

It wasn't moving. There was something blocking its path.

"Yo, Toushirou!"

Or rather someone...

It was a couple seconds, which felt like forever, before Toushirou finally found his voice.

"I-Ichigo...!"

The carrot top merely smiled wider. If the situation wasn't so serious, Toushirou would have poinyed out aloud the near tears in Ichigo's eyes.

"Glad I made it in time, Toushirou," he said. "Any second later and you would have been serious toast." He gave a short laugh, probably to hide his true feelings, but Toushirou could feel them anyway.

Ichigo was so happy that he could cry. Toushirou could tell that he was close to it.

Toushirou gently smiled back and said, "You're an idiot for coming after me, Ichigo," Ichigo's heart fell a little bit, "but I'm happy you did," and his smile returned and happiness multiplied.

With one stroke of his butcher knife-like zanpaktou, the Sogyouku seemed to screech in pain before it slowly disappeared by bursting into flames.

Toushirou could only watch his brother do that, and was still shock as Ichigo released his invisible bonds holding him up in mid air but catching him and resting on one of the beams of the stand.

Apparently, those back on solid ground felt the same as Toushirou.

"The Sogyouku has the power of over one hundred zanpaktous. It's impossible that it would be destroyed just like that!" Soifon pointed, in awe that the carrot top was just like Toushirou: not to be underestimated.

"All I want is to bring my brother back home," Ichigo muttering, snapping Toushirou back to reality. "Is it really that hard to understand for some people?" It seemed as though Ichigo was looking for an escape route.

A voice shouting to them from below caught the brothers' attention.

"Ichigo! Down here! Give him to me!" Renji shouted.

This was the first time Toushirou looked down, and, just as he thought, he got a little dizzy spell and was glad Ichigo was holding him steady.

"Great timing, Renji! Here! Catch!" Before Toushiru could comprehend what his brother meant by "Catch", Ichigo had pushed Toushirou off of the stand.

Luckily, he was caught, almost perfectly, by Renji, who proceeded to yell his head off at Ichigo.

"Are you crazy, carrot top?! You could've killed him!"

"Well, it's a good thing you were there!" Ichigo said, or something like that. He was too far up for Toushirou to hear him correctly. Ichigo also must've said something like "Take him and run," because that's exactly what Renji did.

Kuchiki Byakuya had proved to be a very tough opponent. That was one of the Shinigami that Ichigo had to fight off for Renji.

"You should not have interfered, Kurosaki."

"Oh, yeah? What kind of brother would I be if I didn't?!"

"A good one."

"A useless one. A bad one. I came after him because he's my brother, blood-related or not."

The swords clashed a few times once more, each gaining more wounds that bleed.

"Foolish boy. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Ichigo dodged each and every sakura petal and cried out, "Bankai!" Ichigo, with more speed and agility, closed in on Byakuya. "Getsuga Tensho!"

The shock wave and the reiatsu it held shook the entire mountain.

The second figure remarked, "Damn! We were so close!"

"Truly a disappoint," commented the third figure.

The first figure thought and turned to the third, "Go after the prisoner. Don't let him escape." he turned to the second figure. "Go after Kusaka. He's been on our tail for far too long."

"Yes, Sir."

The two went on their way.

Momo led them through the trees on Sogyouku Hill and out onto the hill itself to where Ichigo lay.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime shouted and latched onto a severely hurt but still conscious Ichigo.

"Oww...Inoue...can't...breathe..." Ichigo croaked out. She immediately let go.

"You're okay, Kurosaki-kun! We were so worried!" Orihime cried out, happily.

"Good job, Ichigo!" Uryuu said.

"Where's Toushirou?!" Momo asked, pulling Ichigo to her by his collar.

"Don't worry, Hinamori-san. Renji's got him. He's headed to the place Yoruichi is at."

"Is he–?" She was frantic, worried. She wouldn't let go of ichigo's collar.

"He's still alive, Hinamori-san. Trust me. I checked." Ichigo was smiling. Soon Momo let go of his collar and smiled too.

"Thank you, Ichigo," she said. "Alrighty, let's go."

Ganju and Chad each took one of Ichigo's arms and heaved him up.

"Let's go."

Ichigo smiled as they made their way down the hill.

Renji kept running, carrying Toushirou piggy-back style.

"How much farther?" Toushirou asked.

"Not far, kid! Hang on!" Renji replied. Renji stopped suddenly. Toushirou looked up and understood why his ride had stopped. "Tousen-taichou?"

"Where are you going with that prisoner?" Tousen calmly asked.

Renji could not reply.

"Just let us go!" Toushirou replied for him. "Please!"

"I am afraid that I cannot do that. Justice has not been served yet."

Tousen left in a whirl of wind, taking Renji and Toushirou with him.

Toushirou closed his eyes, as to not get anything harmful in them. When he opened them, he was back where he should never be.

He was back on Sogyouku Hill.

~19~19~19~19~

A/N: Review, please! Tell me how I did! X( Motivation block is killing me! T^T


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Thank you all for reading this! Review Reponses:

**Bleach Hui:** The cliffie is solved in this chapter. Enjoy! Actually, they did fight, but only for like a few seconds. That's when Ichigo first released his Bankai, remember? And don't worry, Toushirou will get his memories back, but I will not tell you when. Right now, I said he has "nostalgia". That means that certain things are familiar to him, but he can't tell/remember why.

**Shiro Neko: **I'm glad you liked it. This chapter is probably longer than the others. And the next chapter will be a quick yet long chapter too.

**Syl the tWins:** He will remember eventually, but right now, I'll leave some suspense.

**azure blue espeon:** Sorry about the line breaks. They just don't show up on this website. I can created new ones especially for this story.

**Dragon Silhouette: **There will be a big plot change in this chapter. Hopefully, you will like it a lot. And sorry about that. I'll just have to try harder.

**Yin7: **Here's the next update for you. :)

**AMMO121: **For a while there, I thought I did die. Well, I'm still alive! And here's more for you to read. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!

_I am so sorry for nearly abandoning this story! I got sidetracked with something else. To make it up to you, I will give a little spoiler: something is changed from the original plot. Can you guess before you reach that point?_

~20~20~20~20~

Chapter 20: Betrayal and Retreat

If it was even possible, Renji's grip on Toushirou tightened protectively. Right now, Renji couldn't trust just anyone. The only one he could trust right now was Ichigo, but he wasn't here, probably to go reunite with his friends or something, presumably happy that his brother, adopted or not, was safe.

"Aizen-taichou..." he muttered.

When Renji said this man's name, Toushirou felt another wave of nostalgia wash over him. A feeling of suspicion washed over him, along with another one of...jealousy and anger? Why would he be jealous of something he didn't even know?

"Don't worry, Abarai-kun," Aizen said. When Toushirou heard his voice, he shuddered at how nice it sounded. It sounded unreal. "I'm not going to hurt him. I merely want you to hand him over."

"Like that'll ever happen," Renji gritted back. "Get lost!"

"My, my, so insubordinate," Aizen responded. "I'd hate to have to be the one to tell Kuchiki-taichou about that."

"I don't care what you tell him!" Renji shot back immediately, nearly cutting the other off. "I'm not letting you take Toushirou!"

"Please, Abarai-kun," he replied, gently. "I don't want to have to hurt you."

Renji gripped Zabimaru's hilt tight and turned his head back to Toushirou. "Stay here," he muttered, before charging at Aizen.

~B~L~E~A~C~H~~T~H~E~~O~T~H~E~R~~S~I~D~E~~O~F~~M~E~

Ichigo paused right where he was when he felt Renji's spiritual pressure. It would just take a moment to pinpoint to location.

Right above them.

What the hell did Renji do now? He just got halfway down the stairs.

Despite the fact that he was exhausted and injured still, Ichigo ran back up the steps anyway, unable to get rid of that familiar nagging feeling in his heart.

You know, the one that told him that Toushirou was in some sort of trouble.

~B~L~E~A~C~H~~T~H~E~~O~T~H~E~R~~S~I~D~E~~O~F~~M~E~

Renji's fight with Aizen was unfortunately short-lived. Toushirou watched as Renji fell, blood gushing from various wounds all over his body.

No, this is exactly why he didn't want Ichigo to come after him. Toushirou couldn't bear the thought of anyone getting hurt because of him. Toushirou disobeyed Renji's curt order from earlier and ran to see if the older Shinigami was okay.

"Renji," Toushirou asked, giving Renji a little nudge in the shoulder. "Talk to me."

"I tried to warn him," Aizen was standing above him now. "All that effort to protect you, our precious prisoner, was for nothing."

Toushirou's eyes widened in fear and he raised his hands against Aizen. A dim white light came from them and a fragmented kidou barrier appeared in front of his hands, but the pain in his neck from the red collar prevented him from keeping it up for too long.

He tried to make a kidou barrier, but he failed. He failed. If he couldn't make a kidou barrier to protect himself, then what could he do?

Aizen raised his sword. "Too bad," he said. "Guess you just weren't strong enough."

"Surprise!" Aizen was knocked backwards by a familiar carrot-top, who landed gracefully in front of Toushirou, still kneeling on the ground. The brown-haired Captain quickly regained his footing. He looked mildly surprised to see Ichigo, yet didn't even bat a single eyelid at him.

Ichigo turned to his little brother. "You okay, Toushirou? You look like you're running a fever..." Ichigo was concerned. He knew that Toushirou didn't like the heat, much less than what the choker did to him the time before last time he tried to save Toushirou. it had caused him to nearly collapse just because he tried to gather reaitsu for a kidou attack.

Toushirou was panting lightly. "I think I am." He definitely didn't feel comfortable. "And this damned thing around my neck certainly isn't helping!"

Ichigo knew that his brother spoke the truth. He knew what that collar was capable of. Now, he was genuinely worried. He must have tried a kidou spell earlier.

Renji stirred, catching the two brothers' attention.

"Renji, you still alive?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm not going down without a fight, Kurosaki," Renji muttered painfully. "You of all people should know that. Aizen-taichou is the one you should watch out for."

"In that case, let's finish him, Renji!"

"Right behind you!"

Hinamori Momo finally got all the way to the top of the stairs. When she saw the scene before her, she let out a soft gasp.

Renji and Ichigo were attacking her Captain, Aizen Sosuke, or trying to. She couldn't understand why they were fighting her Captain, but she let that slip her mind when she noticed Toushirou kneeling a way's off. She ran to him as Renji got struck hard in the shoulder.

Yet, he kept going. He knew what he was fighting for.

Momo kneeled down beside her best friend from childhood and noticed his slight trembling. "Shirou-chan? Shirou-chan...it's okay. You'll be fine." She midly screeched when Ichigo and Renji hit the ground in front of her, both very close to passing out.

"Hinamori-kun," Aizen said, his blade out and poised to attack. "what are you doing helping that prisoner? You belong on my side."

He sounded so sweet, so caring, so disappointed in her.

She looked at her Captain. She's known him for a very long time. Nearly eight years. She looked at Toushirou. But she's known him longer. Nearly their entire lives.

"No," she stated, firmly, her mind already made up. "He's my friend and always will be. I'm helping him because he doesn't deserve to die like this. Not by the likes of you." With this, she reached to unsheath Tobiume, but a strong hand held tightly on her sleeve, preventing her from doing so. She looked back at Toushirou. It seemed like he didn't want her to leave.

In front of Momo a little ways off, Ichigo had gotten back to his knees and held his sword out in front of him. "I won't ask you again, you dirty bastard. What do you want with Toushirou?!"

"It's really none of your business of what I want with my prisoner or do not want with him," Aizen stated, for once his kind and gentle demeanor gone and replaced with cold, stoic, uncaring eyes.

"Yes, it is!" Ichigo shot back, hotly. "He's my brother! And for your information, he doesn't belong to anybody!"

There was a whirlwind and there appeared Gin, holding Kusaka by the arm, his grip tight.

"Aizen-taichou~!" Gin said, enthusiastically. "I've got him!" His smile was wiped off of his face when Matsumoto Rangiku grabbed his arm and pointed Haineko at his neck.

"Release him," she muttered, angrily. "You traitor..."

Komamura Sajin had his zanpaktou raised against his good friend Tousen. "Kaname..."

Yoruichi and Soifon had contented themselves with personally captivating Aizen himself.

"Don't move, traitor," Soifon said. "Or I will cut off your head."

Ichigo and Renji looked back to see the Soutaichou approaching.

"Aizen Sosuke, Ichimaru Gin, and Tousen Kaname," came out the Soutaichou's booming voice. "All three of you are under arrest. Ukitake, list off the charges."

"Sabotage, false accusation, and murder."

Aizen didn't even bat an eye. "I don't know what you are going on about."

"Central 46," the Soutaichou shot back, calmly. "The entire council has been murdered. And thanks to Kurotsuchi's forensics equipment and knowledge, we were able to discover the culprits behind it."

"Second, Kusaka never had an ice-type zanpaktou. It was always a wind-type," Kurotsuchi continued. "I check this data myself. I know for a fact that this is true, as I retreived this information from the Daireisho Archives. And they never lie."

"And since you were the one who informed us about Hitsugaya's rebirth, that counts as false accusation," Kyouraku finished.

"What were your motives, Aizen?" Yoruichi asked. " Why'd you do it?" Yoruichi paused where there was a moment's silence. Then, the cat woman yelled, "Soifon, move back!"

They both jumped back just in time, as at the moment a negacion was initiated. Gin turned back to Rangiku with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Rangiku-chan." He turned back to Aizen. "It looks like we didn't get it after all."

"Get what?"

As Aizen smoothed his hair and back and crushed his glasses, the three Captains ascended into the air. "You wanted a motive, right?" He pointed an accusing finger at Toushirou, who being helped to a standing position by Rukia and Momo. "That boy's body is currently housing the Hogyouku, the most powerful weapon ever created, by Urahara Kisuke himself. You don't believe me? Well, why do you think he can't remember things from his past?" Silence was the only thing your could hear over Aizen's booming voice. "I will get it from you boy, mark my words."

The path to Heuco Mundo eventually disappeared. As it did, Toushirou could feel himself swaying on his feet. His stomach turned from ice cold to charcoal hot in just one to two seconds.

The pain in his neck was nearly unbearable, like someone had set it on fire. His face and everywhere else on his body felt the exact same way.

As he went down, he felt himself tug on someone's pant leg. The last thing he saw before he blaced out completely was the Garganta closing and feared the worst.

~20~20~20~20~

A/N: Review, please! Tell me how I did! X( Motivation block is killing me! T^T


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Thank you all for reading this! Review Reponses at the end of the chapter now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!

_Thank you very much for so many reviews and favorites and follows! As a treat, at the end of the chapter, the very end, there is a special surprise for you all._

~21~21~21~21~

The Other Side of Me

Chapter 21: Redemption and Recovery

The battle may have been over, but the war had just begun. Everyone knew that. But all they could do now was recuperate and live in this peace for as long as they could.

Ignoring the Eleventh Division protests for better care, Kusaka stood in the doorway of his old academy friend's room in the Fourth Division in complete and utter silence. He merely stood there, watching his unconscious friend's chest moved up and down slowly, a sign that he was still breathing and still alive. His red choker, the devil's choke-hold as Kusaka called it, had been removed, in hopes that it would help him recover, as it was the main reason Toushirou had passed out at all. However, that red choker had been replaced by an oxygen mask, a sign that showed you he was seriously ill if he needed oxygen support.

Kusaka watched as Unohana checked Toushirou's vitals, the female Captain working in a careful, calm cycle. He watched her give off a small smile to no one in particular, which he assumed was her way of telling herself that Toushirou would be okay. He turned to leave.

"Wait, Kusaka-taichou," her gentle voice stopped him from taking another step. He paused. "He's alright, but he needs someone to talk to. Since his adopted older brother is still being healed, the next person on that list is you. So, please...talk to him...it's the only way he'll fully recover."

Kusaka gave off a short, intense silence, during which he was thinking. "I would, except...I have no idea what to say..."

"Just say anything," she was almost pleading. "Just say what's on your mind."

Kusaka paused once more, before replying, "I'm sorry, Toushirou..." he could tell that Unohana was a bit surprised that he had chosen to say such a thing. "I would say more, but...that was all I was thinking of saying..."

Without another word, Kusaka Soujiro left with a swish of his haori.

Kuchiki Rukia was also in the Fourth Division, hunting down a certain carrot top. After the battle, she didn't really get the chance to talk to Ichigo since the Fourth was nearly swarming the area, trying to get to those who were severely injured.

But she was here now, trying to find Room 18B, the room Kotetsu-fukutaichou said Ichigo was in, being healed by Inoue Orihime.

Unohana had mentioned something about taking a great interest in Orihime and her powers. Did she mean it or was she just kidding? No, Unohana wasn't the type of person to kid about something.

Rukai brushed it off and entered the room. Four familiar faces immediately looked up at her.

Orihime smiled widely, almost like an idiot. "Kuchiki-san! I was wondering when you would show up!"

Rukia lightly laughed. "Well, I'm here now. Hey, Uryuu, Chad. How are you two?"

"Better than about a week ago, that's for sure," Uryuu said, a faint smile across his face. Chad merely nodded.

Underneath the orange barrier, Ichigo smiled up at the one who gave him his powers.

"Good to see you again, Rukia..."

"Good to see you too, you idiot. Now rest, okay? When you get better, the soutaichou needs to see you..."

Momo stood amid a grassy plain. All she wanted was to be alone.

How could Aizen just mess with her emotions like that? What had she ever done to deserve this? It was the truth, but she didn't want to accept it. She knew Izuru and Shuuhei were going through the same thing she was and she knew they would help.

But she didn't want to burden them anymore than they already were.

Yamamoto set down his pen just as a knock came to his door.

"Come in," he said. The door opened to reveal the carrot top he had been wanting to see, in a black shihakusho.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, I did," Yamamoto said. "As you know, there is an extremely powerful object within the young Hitsugaya's body, known as the Hogyouku."

"Yes, Sir. Yoruichi told me that it was created by Urahara Kisuke," Ichigo replied.

"It was, and his reasons for placing it within Hitsugaya's body is all his own, but that's not what I want to speak to you about. I'm giving you a mission, and I expect you to keep it for a long time. It's quite simple. Protect Hitsugaya and the Hogyouku until we can find a way to safely remove it."

Ichigo nodded right away. Protect Toushirou...

Hasn't he already been doing that since he met Toushirou on the side of the road on that snowy, fateful evening?

"Of course, Sir," Ichigo said, without a single doubt in his voice. "I will, and that's a promise."

Yells and cries of pain filled the Shiba Clan lawn.

"Onee-sama! I'm still hurt really badly! Besides, you're not really going to torture one of the heroes who rescued Hitsugaya-san!"

"I think I will," Kuukaku said, an evil smirk spreading across her face. "According to my resources, you were useless during the second half of the fight. So, therefore, you owe me one-thousand push-ups! Get moving, little brother!"

"AHHHH!"

Kuukaku stopped Ganju's torture when she sensed someone behind her. She turned to see Kuchiki Rukia standing there, a look of sadness and guilt on her young face.

"Oh, Onee-sama, this Kuchiki Rukia, the one I've been telling you about," Ganju said.

"I know who she is, Ganju. The question is...why are you here, Kuchiki?"

Kaien all filled their minds...along with memories of that night...

"I..." Rukia stuttered. "I-I...I'm so sorry..."

After a moment of heavy silence and tears on Rukia's part, Kuukaku smiled.

"That's alright, Kuchiki-san." Rukia looked up at the well-endowed woman. "That's what he would have wanted. He wouldn't have wanted his honor stained like that. It was a tragic end, yes, but...at least he died a happy man."

Rukia wasn't the only one hurting. Imagine what Kuukaku and Ganju must have felt. Kaien was their brother...

"Now, Kuchiki Rukia, I would like to invite you as a guest for dinner tonight..."

Rukia merely looked at Kuukaku and said, "Thank you, Shiba-san. I'd be honored."

Turquoise eyes opened to a dimly lit room and wandered around said room for a couple of seconds before finding brown eyes staring back at his own.

"Hey, Toushirou, glad to see you're awake," Ichigo said with a smile.

"Hey..." Toushirou replied, struggling to sit up, as he hadn't used his arms, or his entire body for that matter, in a week. "What happened?"

"You passed out, remember?" He nodded. He did remember. "Apparently you and I are connected because we both got out of critical condition at the same time."

"Critical?" Toushirou repeated.

"Yeah, you're sick, Toushirou. You have a fever, which was so high once that you had to put on oxygen." Ichigo took note of Toushirou's expression. "But like I said, you're getting better. You're fever is going down and you're breathing on your own."

Toushirou nodded, but soon asked, "Did Kusaka ever come in here?"

"Once or twice," Ichigo truthfully said. "Why?"

_"I'm sorry, Toushirou..."_

"No reason. Just wondering..." He had heard someone say this to him while he was still out, but he wasn't sure who it was. However, he did have a feeling that it was Kusaka and his feeling was correct. "Ichigo?"

"Hmm?"

"I apologize for all the trouble I caused...I just didn't want to see you get hurt."

Oddly touched by his words, Ichigo asked. "Was it worth it?" Now it was Toushirou's turn to be confused. "Coming to the Soul Society, was it worth it? I know it was for me, because I got to save you and make new friends."

After a short silence, Toushirou replied, "Yeah, because I got a glimpse of what my life was like here." Here he shot Ichigo his signature smile, which the carrot top returned.

Soon after this, though, Ichigo wrapped his adopted brother in a hug. "I'm so glad I got there on time..." he whispered. He couldn't imagine life without Toushirou around. After another moment of silence, not awkward, just contentment and happiness. "So...Hitsugaya or Kurosaki?"

Toushirou let out a small laugh.

"I prefer Kurosaki more..."

Unohana's voice tone changed so that it contained happiness three days later. "You are free to go, Hitsugaya-san."

Toushirou, in the human civilian clothes Uryuu had made him, replied with, "Thank you, Unohana-taichou, for everything. But could you tell me where Ichigo is?"

"I'm sorry, Hitsugaya-san, but I don't have even the slightest idea."

"I do," Kusaka voiced from the doorway. "I can take you to him."

"Would you do that, Kusaka-taichou?" He nodded. "Thank you very much."

On their way, down the hall a couple minutes later, Toushirou couldn't take the heavy silence anymore. He had to break it. "So...did you visit me at all?"

"Yeah...why?"

"I could swear I heard your voice...what exactly did you say? I kind of forgot. I think it was something along the lines of an apology, was it?"

Kusaka turned to him in surprise. So Toushirou would hear him.

Toushirou caught his expression. "I was in a coma, Kusaka, not dead. And there's nothing to apologize for. Things were hard and they're hard now, but we'll always be friends, understand?"

Kusaka's espression changed to a content smile. "Of course, Toushirou. Friends forever."

That very next morning was a tearful one. Rangiku was trying her best to get her dear friend Momo to stop crying. Ichigo and his friends were going home today, right now, so why did she feel so sad?

Because Toushirou was going with them.

Ukitake handed Ichigo something with a skull on it.

"What is this?" Ichigo asked.

"It's your very own Shinigami badge," Ukitake replied. "It proves to us that you are a certified Shinigami. You can also use that to come out of your gigai."

"Thank you," Ichigo said, smiling. He would keep his promise and this badge would help him.

As the five were about to enter the Senkaimon, Toushirou was stopped by a mere, weak, wavering, "Sh-Shirou-chan..." Said white-haired kid turned to face Momo, his childhood friend, one that he could always, as his resources told him.

"Hinamori..." There were tears in her brown eyes.

"Don't leave me here all by myself...all alone..." She needed him to stay with her, so she could keep him close. She didn't want to loose him like she did her Captain, her former Captain.

Momo felt arms wrap themselves around her. She felt her face go red, but she was oddly touched as Toushirou held her close.

"You idiot..." he muttered. "Trust me...I'll never leave you...even if I'm not here in person, I'll always be here in spirit..." She gave her a gentle smile, even if she couldn't see it. "Besides...we'll meet again...alright?" he pulled back to see her fading tears.

She sniffed and nodded.

He reached up and wiped a tear away. "Quit crying, for goodness sake. I thought you were the optimistic one. Geez..."

Momo stopped immediately. He sounded so much like his usual, stoic, icy self. This was a good sign...

She smiled widely, tears still staining her eyes. And all she could do afterwards was watch him leave.

Almost there...

The cleaner thing was still after them...

Nearly there...

Finally! They were out!

But there was nothing below them but air. Solid ground was miles below them. They all yelled as they fell.

But they were saved by some weird, giant paper airplane. At the front sat Urahara Kisuke with Kon in Ichigo's body.

"So...you guys survived. Great job!" He congratulated them all as Ichigo re-entered his body. Urahara got a thank you from everyone except the two Kurosaki brothers. "So...you heard all about me, huh, Ichigo?"

"Yeah...we all did..."

There was a silence before Urahara turned to them all and kneeled and bowed to Ichigo and Toushirou especially, taking his hat off.

"Forgive me!" He felt that it was his fault that this ever happened.

They were all surprised at his behavior.

"It's alright," Ichigo said. "I forgive you. But you shouldn't apologize to me. Toushirou's the one who took the brunt of it all."

Urahara's eyes met Toushirou's.

"You are forgiven..." the white-haired former Shinigami replied.

"Wow, I never expected to be forgiven so easily."

"But answer me this one last question," Ichigo interrupted as Urahara put his hat back on. "Why didn't you tell me this before I entered the Soul Society? You would have saved me so much trouble. Did you think I would be a coward and run away?"

Urahara paused before cheerfully saying, "Ding, ding, ding! You are exactly correct!"

Urahara's face met Ichigo's elbow that day.

As Ichigo and Toushirou stood outside on the Kurosaki front porch, Toushirou was hesitating to go in. Would they hate him for running away? Would they kick him out?

"They missed you, Toushirou," Ichigo interrupted the heavy silence, noticing Toushirou's pained expression. "Yuzu and Dad cried and even Karin shed a tear or two. Trust me. They'll be glad to see you."

Toushirou sent his older brother a grateful smile, which disappeared as soon as it came.

As if reading his brother's mind, Ichigo spoke once again, "And nothing has changed between us, Toushirou. Adopted or not, we're still brothers."

This brought a permanent smile to the young face. Toushirou turned the knob and opened the door.

He was immediately glomped by three people, all Kurosakis, all his family, all held a special place in his heart.

Kurosaki-Hitsugaya Toushirou never felt so content before in his entire life.

~21~21~21~21~

A/N: Review, please! Tell me how I did! X( Motivation block is killing me! T^T Review Responses:

**Dragon Silhouette: **Glad you liked it! And yes, the Hogyouku is still inside Toushirou. That was the big plot change. ;3

**Toshiro with love: **Thank you! Glad you liked it!

**azure blue espeon:** It's alright. Thank you so much for the advice! As you can tell, the responses are now at the end. :)

**blizzard 10: **Oh, Hyourinmaru's not gone. In fact, he'll appear in the next chapter somewhere. Big role? Can't tell you that. You'll have to read to find out.

**The Awesome God Apollo: **Thank you for the advice. And I am so glad you like it!

**skylark dragonstar: **You're back! Yay! I had a feeling someone would have the right guess as to what was really going on. Congratulations. You are that person. :) Anyways, yes, it does mean trouble. In fact, the first wave of trouble begins in the next chapter. :)

**Shiro Neko: **The plot change was actually Aizen unable to get the Hogyouku, but those are really good guesses and they are both true. Keep reading! This is not the last arc!

**Espadakatsukreuz XIII:** Thank you. :)

**spotabc123:** Thank you very much.

**Rabytte:** Thank you for the compliments. They mean a lot.

**toshirolovehim:** If you didn't already guess the plot change, it was the fact that Aizen didn't get the Hogyouku in time.

**Korin no Hana: **Ooo, a new reader! Keep reading. It'll get better. :)

**AMMO121: **Yay! I'm glad you love it!

**Syl the tWins:** Three words right back at you: Here it is!

**FFVIIGirlX:** Awesome! Thank you for the cookies! I'll share them with you all, my dear readers! I'm glad you like this story. I love this story. I love all of my stories, who doesn't like their stories? But anyways, keep reading. :) And you should get an account. It'll help you.

**ShiraChan-Desu:** Actually, I've gotten so many reviews that I thought up the next arc in like five minutes. XD But anyways, here's the next chapter. And I always love new readers.

**eternal fire123:** Sorry to break the intensity, but this chapter was needed. The next chapter brings it back. ;)

**Musical Ninja:** Alright. That's probably one of the best pieces of advice that someone has ever given. Thank you very much!

~~~Here's your treat!~~~

_**Warning: The following trailer includes spoilers for the next arc. Read at your own risk.**_

**A new girl appears, and she's very mysterious!**

"_Hi, it's nice to meet you. My name is Senna."_

"_How the hell can she remember her past and I can't?!"_

"_Toushirou's right. Senna's a Shinigami. She shouldn't be able to remember her past."_

"_No, she can't be…she can't be the Shinenju…"_

**Some people notice certain changes in Toushirou.**

"_Urahara-san, I want you to teach me kidou. From the very top."_

"_I believe you are being visited by your own Zanpaktou, Toushirou-kun!"_

"_I don't care what it takes, Urahara! I'm just so sick and tired of watching on the sidelines!"_

"_It seems that my adopted son, and former subordinate, is starting to get his Shinigami instincts back."_

**Ichigo tries to keep his promise to the Soutaichou.**

"_It's your job to protect him, Kurosaki! How the hell could you so carelessly take your eyes off of him?!"_

"_I'm doing my best, Abarai! Obviously, my best isn't good enough!"_

**Sacrifices will be made.**

"_He deserves to live, not me. You've known him longer, after all."_

"_I don't get it…why won't the Hogyouku come out?"_

"_Sorry, Hitsugaya-kun…I really don't have any excuses on what we did to you…"_

"_Sorry, Ichigo…I'm sorry for letting him get to me…"_

"_No, Toushirou! Don't leave me!"_

"_Is he…dead?"_

"_I-I don't know…"_

**Bleach: The Other Side of Me, Arc 2: The Memory Rosary Arc!**

_**Stay tuned to a fanfiction site near you!**_


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